Nightmare
by Stand In Girl
Summary: The horrific scene that met Chris’ eyes when he reached the attic door was one that had haunted him for years, twisting through his nightmares until he jolted awake in bed, screaming for his mother. Chris-centric, eventual Revelation.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Nightmare

**Rating:** T to be safe.

**Summary**: Piper is attacked by the same demon that kills her fifteen years into the future. Chris happens to witness it. From there, the Charmed Ones and Chris embark on a mission to find the demon and save Wyatt. Chris-centric, eventual Revelation.

**Setting:** Season Six. Set after _Prince Charmed,_ but I messed with the timeline a little. The sisters know about Wyatt turning evil in the future, but they've already gotten back to trusting Chris. They also know about Magic School.

**Author's Note:** This is my first _Charmed_ story, and it's a _long_ one. I'm currently looking for a beta, but be warned: I've got about a hundred-fifty pages worth of story to read over! I've tried to stick to the mythology as best I can, but since _Charmed_ occasionally broke its own rules, I'm hoping you'll forgive any slip-ups. And without further ado, enjoy the story!

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"_There's another world inside of me that you may never see,  
There are secrets in this life that I can't hide.  
Somewhere in this darkness there's a light that I can't find,  
Maybe it's too far away,  
Or maybe I'm just blind."_

- 3 Doors Down, _When I'm Gone_

* * *

"Piper, have you found that spell yet? If you're up here playing with Wyatt, I swear I'll—Piper!"

The horrific scene that met Chris' eyes when he reached the attic door was one that had haunted him for years, twisting through his nightmares until he jolted awake in bed, screaming for his mother. He froze at the sight, different than he remembered but still the _same_. The same demon holding her hostage, one of his hands covering her mouth and his body pulled close to trap her lethal arms behind her. The same athame glinting evilly just over her heart.

Chris rushed forward without thought, acting purely on instinct. He'd been too young then. Too young to understand, too young to help, too young to _save_ _her_. But now he older, stronger, more powerful. He would kill the son of a bitch before he hurt her.

"Ah, ah, ah, Witchlighter," The demon spoke, his voice reminding Chris of death and decay and slimy insects crawling in the dark. A shiver slithered down Chris' spine. "You want to get her killed sooner?"

"Let her go," Chris ordered immediately, and he hated the way his voice shook. He could do this, damnit! He could save her. He _had_ to save her.

Piper hadn't moved or made a sound, but Chris could see her eyes, wide and fearful over the demon's contorted fingers. Her gaze darted to Wyatt, who sat in his playpen at the other side of the room. The infant's protective shield was raised, and Chris wanted to shout at Piper for worrying about Wyatt when she was in danger. _So much_ danger.

"You're not supposed to be here," Chris replied, and again his voice sounded weak. His hands began to quake, and he clenched them into fists to stop the trembling. God, he couldn't watch this all over again. He couldn't—

"Neither are you," The demon grunted. Chris could imagine the smile on his face, even though a shadowed hood and long cloak hid most of his body. Just like before.

Chris had to do something. He had to find a way to stop this situation, he _had_ to.

"You made this happen, Christopher," The demon said, and Chris stared at him uncomprehendingly. "You altered the timeline."

And Chris knew what the demon was going to do a fraction of a second before it happened, and Chris waved his hand erratically, sending the athame in a wide arc across the room. The demon grunted, faltered, and then conjured another one. Chris gestured again, but this time he only managed to shift the athame's projected course. When it finally landed, it dug into Piper's stomach rather than her heart.

Her cry was earsplitting and drawn-out, and hurtled Chris into memories he'd spent eight years trying to forget. The demon released Piper and she fell bonelessly to the floor, dagger still buried in her stomach. Blood spilled out onto the ornate rug beneath her and the demon shimmered away.

Chris moved reflexively, his mind too tangled and ragged to even comprehend what was happening. He dropped to his knees and reached for her, entire body wracked with sobs. The wound was lethal, the knife imbedded deeply into vital organs, but the loss of blood would kill her sooner. She was still breathing, but at a frenzied, unnatural pace, and her eyes were drifting shut. A strange, unsteady feeling spread through Chris's limbs, and when he pulled one hand out from under Piper, he saw that his fingers were vanishing.

Without thinking or planning it, desperate to save his mother from the same fate she'd suffered eight years ago and yet hadn't suffered at all until this moment, he called out to the only person who could possibly help.

"_Leo_!" His voice cracked and broke, but he shouted louder still. "LEO! For the love of God, _get down here!_ _Dad, please!_"

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only a few seconds, the bluish particles began to appear. Leo materialized, and Chris watched as his father's expression morphed from annoyance to comprehension and finally to horror. Leo jumped forward and rested his hands on the hilt of the dagger, and both Chris and Leo looked away as Leo pulled the weapon free. Piper's eyes flew open and she let out another agony-filled scream, and Chris felt himself start to break at the sound of it.

Leo wasted no time placing his hands above the wound, and a warm, golden glow immediately shone from his hands. For a minute nothing seemed to happen, and Chris couldn't stop the pain and complete panic from overpowering him.

Then the stab wound began to close, the blood ceasing to flow and the damaged tissue rapidly repairing. Chris's hands, still buried beneath Piper's back and trying to support her despite their intangibility, blinked back into existence. It was over in all of two seconds, and then Piper started to move, completely healed and out of danger.

Chris stood up and stumbled away, turning his back on the parents who didn't even know they belonged to him. All of his earlier principles returned, reminding him of future consequences and the things they could never know. But the emotions still raged overpoweringly within him, and he couldn't shut them off.

God, he didn't think he'd ever have to see that again. He didn't think he'd ever have to witness—

"Chris?" Piper's voice broke through his frenzied thoughts, and so did the light, comforting touch on his shoulder. He flinched away from her hand. "Chris, are you alright?"

She sounded concerned, which was just utterly ridiculous. _He_ wasn't the one who'd almost died; _he_ wasn't the one who'd had the dagger slice through his—

"Oh, God," he moaned, burying his head in his hands to hide the tears that slipped down his cheeks. He couldn't do this. He couldn't be here with them after reliving one of the worst moments of his life. It didn't seem to matter that she was alive, that Leo had managed to save her this time. _This_ time.

Because he could still picture the way she'd looked then, her lifeless eyes staring blankly up at him. He'd tried closing them, wanting her to seem as though she was just sleeping. But the taut, fearful expression had been frozen on her face and she hadn't looked peaceful at all. She'd died in a moment of sheer terror, worried that her youngest son, her baby, wouldn't live to see another sunrise.

All his _fault_.

Leo was speaking now, and Piper was still reaching for him, and Chris suddenly felt desperate to get away. Without a backwards glance at them, he thought of the one place he could find peace and vanished into a mist of swirling blue orbs.

* * *

"Chris!" Piper's hand was suddenly reaching for nothing but air, and she let it fell back to her side. She turned to Leo, surprised and distressed.

"What is _wrong_ with him?" She asked, puzzled confusion coating her words.

Leo looked serious and pensive, an expression that wasn't completely out of place on him. It did little to soothe Piper's nerves. "I've never seen him that upset," she declared flatly when he didn't answer. "Ever."

"Well, you were dying," As he said it, the weight of the words seemed to sink into him. His face crumpled and he took a shaky step toward her. "Piper, you… you almost _died_."

She felt the beginnings of shock and the aftereffects of panic, but she didn't want to concentrate on either. They had no purpose, because she was fine. She'd had close calls before and she would certainly have them again. No use worrying about it now. "But I didn't, so it doesn't matter."

None of the dismayed concern left Leo's expression, but he allowed her to pull away from the subject. "How'd it happen?"

She sighed, deeply. "Chris wanted us to go after some demon; could be a threat to Wyatt, blah, blah, blah. You know how he gets. So while he orbed out to get Phoebe and Paige, I came up here to check the book. He said he was sure there was an entry somewhere."

"And a demon—a different one, I'm assuming—just appeared?" Leo asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, they tend to do that," Piper responded wryly, a small, ironic smile twisting her face. Then she sobered. "I was checking on Wyatt, and I guess I just… wasn't paying enough attention."

Leo looked at her then, using the expression that he only ever sent her way. It seemed to say _"I love you"_ and _"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you"_ and _"I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through"_ all at once. She wasn't sure how she felt about that look.

"This better be good, because Jason and I have a reservation at six and he spent two hours on the phone getting it, so—" Phoebe had already started speaking before she'd fully materialized, but she broke off once she got a look at Leo and Piper standing grimly in the center of the attic. She probably also noticed the bloodstains on both the carpet and Piper's shirt.

"What _happened_?" Paige asked immediately, releasing Phoebe's hand and walking over to her eldest sister.

"Good question," Piper commented bluntly. Catching the expressions on both of her sisters' faces and realizing that Leo was still looking at her like _that_, she burst out, "Would you three stop? I'm _fine_."

"Is there a reason you wouldn't be?" Phoebe asked, and damn if she didn't sound as grave and anxious as she looked. "Leo?"

Leo unfolded his arms and glanced at Piper, who shot him a very clear warning look. Then he said, voice carefully measured, "Piper was attacked just a few minutes ago. I got here in time, but—"

"What do you mean, you 'got here in time'?" Paige asked, pulling at the tattered fabric that had previously been Piper's favorite shirt. As she continued her examination, Piper could see the conclusions dawning in Paige's mind. With a shaky sigh, Paige let her hands fall away.

"Did you get a good look at this demon, Piper?" Phoebe asked after a long silence, and Piper was grateful that at least one person in the room wasn't going to linger on the fact that she'd almost died.

"No," she replied, absently walking over to pick up Wyatt. He was a little fussy; probably a combination of the tension in the room and the confrontation that had occurred a few minutes earlier. She rocked him gently. "He grabbed me from behind, trapped my hands, and then conjured up the athame. Chris might've seen him though. Hr walked in a second after it happened and—" She broke off, the memories of the brief ordeal filtering through her brain.

"Piper?" Phoebe prompted when Piper didn't continue.

Piper shook her head and stared down at the now-giggling Wyatt. "Chris knew the demon. Or, the demon knew him—or maybe both. They had a conversation before the demon….You know."

She saw some of the concern flicker in Phoebe's eyes at that statement, but it stayed mostly under the surface. "What did they say?"

"Chris said something like 'You aren't supposed to be here,' and then the demon said that Chris wasn't either, and then he mentioned that Chris had altered the timeline…" She frowned in puzzlement. "He must have known that Chris is from the future. But how is that possible?"

Paige made an impatient noise in the back of her throat. "Chris could probably answer that question if he was here. Where did he go?" When the only answers she received were a shrug and a frown, she shook her head and called, "Chris? Chris!"

"I don't think he's going to respond," Leo said unexpectedly, drawn out of his pensive state. "He seemed… upset."

"On the verge of a complete breakdown would be more accurate," Piper corrected darkly, carefully repositioning Wyatt and then glancing at Leo.

"About Piper?" Paige asked, delicate features folding into a confused, almost incredulous expression. They all looked at her, and she added defensively, "What? Don't get me wrong, it scares me to even think about what could have happened if Leo hadn't made it here in time. But Chris hasn't gotten upset over the dangers we've faced before. If anything, he _puts_ us in danger with all these planned demon attacks."

"This was different," Leo said with great certainty, arms folded over his chest. His gaze shifted a little, as if he was staring at something that the rest of them couldn't see. "I think I should go talk to him. I know where he is."

"Are you sure—" Piper stopped when Leo dispersed into a mass of shining blue spheres. "Whose bright idea was that power, anyway?" She demanded of the heavens, raising her hands in frustration.

_TBC...._

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are lovely!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews!_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Chris loved this place. Even when it was quiet, there were all kinds of sounds. Birds chirped, the wind rustled through leafy trees, and insects hummed as they hovered over bright, blooming flowers. He'd seen it a different way, torn apart and ravaged by war, delicate plants wiped out after years of abuse and neglect. Even the wind didn't seem to howl in the future. But here, in this time, it was perfect.

He almost liked the park better than the Golden Gate Bridge, which was where he usually went to think or sulk or do any number of things that he could never do around the sisters. Where he could be Chris Halliwell, youngest son of Piper and Leo, and not Chris Perry, the annoying, secretive half-Whitelighter from the future.

But right now, he didn't want to be reminded of who he was or wasn't. He just wanted to recuperate, so that he could go back to the manor and pretend like nothing was wrong. Like he hadn't witnessed a scene eerily similar to his mother's death; like it hadn't torn him apart to see her like that _again_.

When he had come to the past, he hadn't really planned on keeping his identity a secret. He'd taken Bianca's advice and hadn't told them anything about himself or his family, but on a subconscious level he had expected them to recognize him. His mother had always loved him, even if his father had been painfully absent, and Paige and Phoebe had always been devoted aunts. So he'd believed—naively, he realized now—that they'd take one look at him, connect the dots, and willingly help him save Wyatt.

He hadn't expected mistrust and hate. He certainly hadn't expected noncommittal, almost uncaring attitudes towards his self-imposed mission. They just didn't understand how important it was to save Wyatt. How could they, when they had never experienced the horrors that existed in his lifetime? He felt like he was always a hair's breadth away from failing because they didn't take it seriously enough. He hadn't planned on doing this alone, either.

He wondered frequently if he should tell them the truth about himself. But every time he tried to plan out the revealing conversation, his mind railed against it. Fears and reservations came rushing to the surface—what if they didn't believe him? Or what if they _did_ believe him and decided that they _still_ didn't like him?—and he found excuses to hide his origins from them.

At this moment, however, he wasn't sure he could hide the fact that Piper was his mother, which was why he needed to stay away from them until he could get himself under control. He breathed deeply and let his eyes drift closed, willing himself to soak up some of the peacefulness in the air.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Chris jolted out of his reverie and whirled around, coming face to face with Leo. Alarm pounded through him, and he tried to think of another place to go where his father wouldn't follow.

"Don't, Chris," Leo said, and he sounded weary. "Don't leave. I'm not here to bother you."

"Yeah? Then go away," Chris bit out, and he was pleased that he'd managed to sound so strong. He turned his back on Leo again, facing the ornate white bench and the vividly colored flowers.

"Piper's fine," Leo said, and if Chris didn't know better, he'd think Leo was trying to comfort him. "In fact, she's annoyed that everyone keeps worrying about her."

"Good," Chris said with some semblance of indifference. "Then you can leave."

"Chris—"

"What are you even _doing_ here, Leo?" Chris demanded, turning to face him. "Trying to follow me again? Do you want to know if I set that demon on Piper? Maybe I was conspiring with him the entire time! Hell, I was the only one there with her, maybe I even helped him when he—when he—"

"Chris, calm down," Leo said, reaching out to him. Chris took a hurried step away, and almost stumbled when he realized how violently he was shaking.

God, could he never get control over this? He took a deep, calming breath, disgusted with himself.

"If you wanted to hurt Piper, you wouldn't have asked me to heal her," Leo began quietly, and Chris had to bite back a sardonic retort. "I'm not here to accuse you of anything."

"Then why _are_—"

"When you were calling for me, you said something," Leo interrupted, his voice a shade louder than before. He sounded irritated, and the emotion fit much better on him, making Chris abruptly think back to that moment. He tried to clear the utter terror and panic from his memory and leave only the facts. What had he said…?

It came crashing back to him with almost tangible force, and he inhaled sharply. _Dad_, he'd said. He had begged his father to come save his mother.

"I didn't mean… I forgot," he said automatically, muscles going rigid at the thought of such an enormous slip-up.

"That you're in the past?" Leo asked, an inkling of suspicion in his voice.

"That too, I guess," Chris replied. He struggled to find a way out of this, and after a split-second's thought, he decided to tell a bit of the truth. "I forgot that he's dead."

"He's—?"

"My father's dead," Chris repeated bluntly, eyes focusing defiantly on the beautiful landscape. Abruptly, he felt a hand wrap around his arm, holding him in place. He jerked away, half believing that Leo was attacking him, but a second later he was forcibly turned around to face his father again.

"What the hell are you doing?" Chris asked, attempting yank his arm out of Leo's grip. This time Leo let go, but his eyes were roving over Chris's face as if he was trying to read something there. "_What?_" Chris repeated harshly.

"Your eyebrows could be like hers. And your eyes…" Leo breathed, almost to himself. Chris felt shock spike through his system when he realized that Leo was searching for signs of resemblance. The same signs Chris had expected the sisters to see the moment he'd stepped into the past. And Leo, the dead-beat dad, the man who had never been there for him, had been the first one to catch it.

"Get away from me," Chris growled, taking a step backward and whirling around again, hiding the evidence that existed like a roadmap in every aspect of his face.

"Chris, am I… are you—?"

Chris struggled to force down everything he felt at the idea of Leo discovering who he was. When he had control enough over his emotions that his voice wouldn't shake, he said, "I'm not your son."

The blatant lie rolled of his tongue more easily then he thought it would, but he suspected it was far easier lying to Leo than to his mother. After all, he'd never really felt like Leo's son.

"Then why—?"

"What, do you think the Halliwells are the only ones who fall for their Whitelighters?" Chris scoffed, face still angled carefully away from Leo. "He could heal, and for a second I forgot—and I thought that if I…"

"I get it," Leo said when Chris didn't continue, sounding troubled and unsure of himself. "I'm sorry, Chris."

Chris snorted cynically. "Don't be. He wasn't exactly the world's greatest father."

Again he used the truth to push Leo away from the correct conclusion. No parent ever wanted to think they'd done a poor job. Leo would shy away from the idea that he could be that kind of father.

"Still…"

"_Drop it_, Leo."

A silence followed Chris's order, and it seemed that Leo was finally listening to him. Chris almost relaxed; he almost let himself get lost again in the serenity that ebbed and flowed around him.

"You need to come back, Chris," Leo said, voice quiet again. "We have to find the demon that attacked Piper, and she said it knew you."

Chris immediately tensed. "I didn't—"

"I know," Leo interrupted gently, and Chris wondered if he'd been taking more pacifist lessons Up There lately. It did nothing to calm Chris's nerves. "But it knew you were from the future, which means we have a very big problem on our hands. You could be at risk, too."

Chris shrugged that statement off.

"The girls are already looking through the book, but they don't really have anything to go on other than the fact that—"

"They're looking for him?" Chris asked, shooting a startled glance over his shoulder.

Leo looked slightly confused at the unexpected question. "Yeah, of course. That's why—"

Chris ignored the rest of Leo's sentence and orbed back to the manor. His particles pieced themselves together in the attic, and he was relieved to see that it looked less dismal than before. Piper was still there, but she had changed, and the stained rug had been removed from the floor. Wyatt gurgled happily from Piper's arms, and Paige stood at the dais to his left, her eyes focused on the Book.

"Chris," Piper said immediately upon seeing him. He looked at her, noticing the slight gladness in her eyes and the smile on her lips. He looked away again.

"You okay?" Piper continued, making a valiant try for her usual perkiness but failing somewhat.

"Yeah," He responded casually, shrugging his shoulders and smiling a little. He even thought that maybe he could pull this off.

"Well, it's good you're here, because we have absolutely nothing on the demon that sliced up Piper," Paige said, pausing in her rapid perusal of the Book to look at him.

"What?" he asked warily, struggling not to show his disgust at Paige's choice of words.

"What'd he look like?" Paige prompted with a roll of her eyes, as if he should have already known what she wanted. "Piper said you walked in when it happened."

"It doesn't matter," Chris said immediately, striding over and pulling the book out of her hands. She made a noise of protest, but released the flimsy, aged pages for fear of ripping them.

"Chris, what are you doing?" Piper demanded, setting Wyatt in his playpen and standing up. Despite her short stature, these actions combined with her sudden anger made her seem more intimidating. "Of course it matters."

"No it doesn't, because you're not looking for him," Chris replied firmly, leaving no room for argument. Not that that had ever stopped the Charmed Ones. He ignored the chatter from both sisters as he flipped through the pages until he found the one he was looking for. He turned the open book towards them.

"A Shtriga?" Paige read, her hands placed incredulously on her hips. "What is this?"

"_This_ is a demon. Usually female; commonly confused with a witch. She's attracted to magical households and targets infants and young children. She more or less feeds on them until they die."

"Yeah, and?" Paige prompted with an impatient wave of her hand.

"Hate to break it to you, but Wyatt's a 'young child,'" Chris informed them, gesturing toward the blond-headed boy in question.

"But Chris, a Shtriga can't be what you're looking for," Piper pointed out. "She _feeds_ on children, she doesn't turn them evil."

Chris set the book back on its stand and resisted the urge to throw his hands up in frustration. "Either way, it's a threat to Wyatt."

"Yeah, well so is the thing that almost killed me!" Piper replied, voice rising an octave. "And you and that demon seemed to know each other. Would you like to explain that?"

"No, so back off!" he shouted, voice echoing piercingly over the attic walls. Piper's mouth fell open and Paige halted in the act of reaching for the book again. The heavy silence was broken only because Phoebe chose that moment to enter.

"Alright, we've got enough ingredients to make some basic potions—" She broke off as soon as she entered the room, startled eyes moving from her sisters to Chris.

She held his gaze for a few seconds and then crumpled over, bending at the waist and wrapping her arms protectively around her stomach. Her shoulders quaked, and Chris could hear the sudden hitch in her breathing. He swallowed hard and hastily retreated to the other side of the attic, as far away from her as possible.

"Phoebe?" Piper called, immediately walking over to her sister. Paige stared at the two of them from her place at the stand, prepared to head over if she was needed.

"Oh, God," Phoebe breathed, sobs interrupting her speech and making it barely more than a whisper. Chris winced, hating to see his emotions expressed so blatantly by someone else.

"What's going—?" Piper broke off, and Chris knew the moment realization struck. Her startled gaze swung towards Chris, and eventually Paige's followed. Phoebe's remained fixed on the floor, and Chris thought he saw tears splashing down onto the wooden slats under her feet.

"Chris?" Piper asked, and if Chris heard her say his name like that one more time, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop the flood of emotions that were damming up behind his eyes.

"I'm going to go make up a potion for the Shtriga," he said curtly, brushing roughly past Phoebe and Piper and exiting the attic.

_TBC...._

* * *

_A/N: Little shout-out to_ Supernatural _in there, one of my other favorite shows. Kudos if you catch it!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Phoebe didn't start breathing again until Chris had gotten all the way down the stairs. Then the wave of emotions broke, and the pressure lifted. She stood upright again, mopping at her tear-strained face with her hands.

"Oh, my God," Phoebe said again, more of a sigh this time. She closed her eyes, her mind and body still reeling.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Piper asked, eyes darting from her sister to the open doorway and back again.

"I don't know," Phoebe replied thickly, the painful knot still in her throat despite the sudden lack of emotion. "But it almost knocked me on my ass."

"You're telling me that right now Chris is…?" Paige made a rolling gesture with her hand, as if she was unable to come up with the exact phrase to use.

"Inwardly sobbing and clutching his stomach?" Phoebe supplied, still breathing deeply. "I guess so, yeah."

"Wow," Paige replied, a hint of awe in her voice. "He handles it a lot better than you."

"Paige!" Piper chided, frowning at Paige's lack of tact.

"What?" the youngest sister demanded defensively, spreading her arms wide in a so-sue-me gesture. "I'm just saying, aside from the short temper and the yelling, he's not exactly curled up in a ball on the floor."

Phoebe shook her head and walked over to the old catch, sinking down onto it. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "Give me a minute."

Piper and Paige obligingly gave her some time, Piper walking over to join Paige on the search for the unknown demon. Piper murmured the few facts she knew, and for awhile the only sound in that attic was the turning of the delicate pages in the Book of Shadows.

"I thought you normally didn't get anything from Chris?" Paige questioned finally, after failing once again to come up with anything in the Book.

"I usually can't," Phoebe responded without opening her eyes. "It's almost like he blocks me. But sometimes I can feel him, like when I channeled his love for Bianca. I guess it has to be a really strong emotion or something."

"So why's he like _this_ all of a sudden?" Paige questioned thoughtfully, and there was a moment of ponderous silence. Then, in unison, both Paige and Phoebe looked at Piper.

"Me? What did _I_ do?"

"More like what did the demon do _to_ you?" Paige replied, and Phoebe nodded fervently. "Chris seems pretty freaked out, and you said he started getting that way just after the demon got to you."

"So you think this has something to do with me?" Piper asked disbelievingly, looking at each sister in turn.

"We know nothing about him, Piper. He hasn't really told us anything," Phoebe replied, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. "What if he knows you in the future? What if you're more important to him than we realize?"

"She isn't."

His voice was chilly and unfeeling as he walked back into the room. Phoebe internally prepared herself, but there was no overwhelming rush of emotions this time. Chris must have been suppressing them, although how he'd shoved down such powerful feelings was beyond her. She knew it wasn't good for him, but she was also grateful, because she didn't think she could deal with the weight of his baggage.

After he set the vial of potion on the table, he turned back to them and met each of their eyes in turn. "You're right; you don't know anything about me," he repeated, making it clear he'd been listening to their conversation. "Here are some basics: My family is gone. I don't have a home—I just lost my fiancé. If I don't change the future, I have to go back to that. And I have to go back living with the fact that I could have stopped it if I'd just tried harder, _pushed_ harder.

"You want to know why I'm upset?" he asked rhetorically, his gaze was on Phoebe. "Because if Piper had died, I would have failed. Saving Wyatt isn't enough, because the world needs the Charmed Ones, too. If one of you dies, I go back to war, death, and darkness. Permanently."

Phoebe didn't know what to say to that. Mentioning that she'd literally _felt_ his pain seemed presumptuous, but sympathy didn't seem like something he wanted, either.

"Your world needs us," Piper repeated. Her voice had the hushed, somber quality of one talking to a person on his death bed. "Does that mean we're not there?"

There was a long pause.

"Not like you are now," he said finally, running a hand over his face. It was the first display of weariness he'd given so far. "Every force of good is fractured and broken in the future. Nothing exists like it does now. So if you don't want to help me, fine, but get ready to say goodbye to everything you know."

"We _do_ want to help you," Phoebe said, standing up and taking a few steps toward him. He tensed, looking almost afraid, and she halted. "But these half-truths and lies, these _secrets_ aren't going to cut it anymore. If we have to do this, you've got to tell us everything."

"Like what?" he retorted, eyebrows raised. "What else could you possibly need to know besides the fact that Wyatt—"

"Like who you are, Chris!" Phoebe burst out, feeling both his frustration and hers. "Like why you were the one to come back in time and convince us to save him—like how you know so much about us! Don't you understand why it's hard to trust you? Every so often we learn new things about you, when you let something slip or when you think it doesn't matter anymore, but then you never explain any of it! We thought you were a Whitelighter—you _told_ us you were a Whitelighter—and then we find out you're half-witch! How can we—"

"You want to know why I came back? Because no one else would have asked questions. No one else would have wasted months gaining your trust—no one else would have worked day and night to track down possible threats!" He stopped and took a deep breath, and a hint of uncertainty flashed across his face. Then he spoke again, and his voice was calm. "If anyone else had come back, they would have killed Wyatt the second they got here."

There was a ringing silence after those words, and then Piper made a shocked, wounded sound. Phoebe watched distractedly as Piper hurried over and picked up Wyatt again, as if the very statement had put him in danger.

"What?" Paige asked finally, voice low. Chris turned toward her.

"Think about it, Paige," he answered contemptuously. "He's the most powerful being in the world, and he goes pretty damn evil just a few years from now. What would you do?"

"But Wyatt hasn't done anything yet," Piper argued immediately, fierce protectiveness in every word. "He's _innocent_."

"Well, trust me, he doesn't stay the way." His tone was dark and suggested at the thousands of horrific acts Wyatt would commit in the future. Chris turned away with the pretense of checking some of the magical tools on the shelves, but Phoebe knew that he didn't want to look at any of them.

"So why are you different?" Phoebe asked finally, while Piper rocked her child and Paige stood motionless at the other side of the room. Both sisters shot her different versions of the same look, and she addressed their unspoken suspicions. "If he wanted to hurt Wyatt—which would be difficult, given Wyatt's powers—he would have done it already." She looked back at Chris, eyes serious. "So?"

Chris didn't respond for a moment, but his shoulders tensed visibly. He was obviously regretting every word he'd spoken so far. Then he turned around, and Phoebe could see the shadows behind his eyes. She wondered what he'd had to face in his lifetime, to be so hard and bitter.

"I knew Wyatt once," he said finally, and Phoebe knew he was still cutting out some of the truth. She heard it in his voice. "I think he can be saved."

For a long time no one spoke. Finally, Piper set Wyatt back down and walked over to Chris. She put her hand on his arm and Phoebe felt a rush of foreign emotion that she didn't understand.

"He can," Piper said certainly, and Chris seemed to sink into himself at the statement. "And contrary to what you might think, Chris, I'm not trying to stop you from saving him. I'd like my son to grow into someone I can be proud of."

Chris swallowed perceptibly and took a small, yet noticeable step away from her. "So you'll help?"

Piper nodded slowly. "Yes. We'll start working on saving Wyatt as soon as you tell us about the demon that attacked me."

Chris immediately balked at the idea. "No."

Piper through her hands up in frustration, her expression losing most of its earlier kindness. "Could you at least give us a reason?"

"_No_," Chris repeated, more adamantly this time, a dark frown settling over his face. "I've already told you too much as it is."

Piper scowled fiercely. "Chris, if you start any of the 'future consequences' crap I swear I'll—"

"What, blow me up?" Chris asked with a derisive nod at her hands. "Do you think I keep things from you because it's fun? You don't even realize how easily the timeline can be altered! I tell you something you're not supposed to know, and certain things could end up not happening. Certain people could end up not existing—"

"Like who?" Piper demanded, eyes flashing.

"Like _me_!" Chris roared, breathing heavily, anger tightening the lines of his face.

Piper opened her mouth and then closed it again, looking a little like a fish. Unable to articulate her question, she settled for staring at Chris and furrowing her eyebrows in perplexity.

"What have you got to do with us?" Phoebe piped in, before amending, "I mean, not _you_, you, but what does _present_ you have to do—" She broke off and scowled. "I hate time travel."

Chris shot her a look, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. "I don't. Have anything to do with you, that is. I just… things could change in unimaginable ways. My presence alone could be enough to shift things drastically. I could end up affecting people who don't seem to have any connection to you at all."

"Sort of like the Butterfly Effect, but with the timeline," Paige contributed. Chris rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"But you can't just do this, Chris," Piper spoke up again, and she still looked determined. "You can't come in here, change our lives like it's some sort of game and never tell us what any of it means."

"I can if it means saving the world." Chris stated, his voice as unbending as Piper's. His face was set like hers, too, a stubborn frown that convinced Phoebe it wouldn't be easy to change his mind.

"Tell us your connection to the demon, Chris," Piper demanded.

"I can't do that," Chris replied, and before Piper could argue or Phoebe could intervene or Paige could throw in a witty rejoinder to break the tension, Chris splintered into a mass of blue orbs.

"Dammit!" Piper yelled, her hands reflexively moving to freeze the bluish mist. Her power did nothing to stop Chris, and within seconds all trace of him was gone.

_TBC...._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Chris reappeared in the storage room-turned-bedroom and dropped onto the lumpy old couch with an exhausted sigh. He closed his eyes and took a moment to relax, slowly letting the tension ease out of his limbs. He didn't usually allow himself time for this, but few of his days in the past had been as rough as this one. And he knew it was far from over, which just made everything worse.

They wouldn't stop asking, Chris knew. They were the Charmed Ones, and even if they were different than the ones he'd known, even if they were younger and less experienced, they were still the same basic people. And they never backed down, especially when they were united in their beliefs.

He probably shouldn't have denied telling them about the demon, anyway. In fact, he really should have helped them, because something very bad was going on if demons knew he was changing the timeline. But he couldn't wrap his head around going after the monster that had haunted him for so long, that had taken away the most important person in his life.

And destroyed everything else as a result.

He bolted upright suddenly, heart pounding as something occurred to him. What if the demon came back? What if he figured out that he hadn't killed Piper and came back and—

Chris groaned and began to pace. He couldn't let himself think like that. Leo would be on the lookout, and the sisters would probably keep an eye on Piper too, especially if Phoebe was going to stick around the manor for a few days.

And what was Chris going to do, anyway? Stand guard outside her bedroom door? Follow her around like a lost puppy until someone figured out that hey, maybe he was a little too worried about Piper to _just_ be her neurotic Whitelighter?

He had to disengage from this. He had to stop thinking of Piper as his mother, and Phoebe and Paige as his aunts, and Leo as his absent father. He had to get back to the aloofness he'd had in the beginning, the detachment that had allowed him to lie and manipulate them without guilt.

Or he could tell them the truth.

He stamped out that idea as soon as it entered his mind. No, he couldn't do that. He'd already burned his bridges, whether intentionally or not. He'd told them that his family was dead. He couldn't turn around now and say that they _were_ his family, or by process of deduction they would realize things they shouldn't know.

And they really _couldn't_ know. As much as he wanted to save them, he couldn't use his trip to the past for personal gain. It had been the only catch to the mission; his job was to save Wyatt and nothing more. Because if Piper was somehow _meant_ to die when Chris was fourteen, and if Phoebe and Paige were _meant_ to be killed less than a year after that, then stopping those deaths would lead to disastrous consequences. It was his job to fix one thing, to keep Wyatt good so that he wouldn't eventually force the world into darkness. Everything after that was up to fate.

Chris sat back down and let his eyes fall closed, wishing this didn't have to be so hard and complicated all the time. The fate of the world rested squarely on his shoulders, and if he made one tiny mistake, the future could be permanently shattered.

He opened his eyes again, fueled with fresh determination. Looking over at one of his many leather-bound books, he brought it to him with a casual, almost lazy flick of his wrist. Resignedly, eyes already blurring, he reread the text that he'd already pored over many times before.

"_Chris_!"

A groaned slipped past his lips, and he momentarily paused in his work.

"_Don't you _dare_ ignore me! Chris!_"

He did just that, already wincing at the verbal lashing he'd receive the next time he saw Piper. She called a few more times, her voice ringing so loudly that she could have been screaming right next to him. He tried to lower the volume, but he couldn't completely turn off the connection when she was being so adamant. Eventually she stopped calling.

Breathing deeply, both relief and guilt combining into a slimy mixture deep in his stomach, Chris turned his attention back to the book in his hands.

* * *

There were deep bags under Chris' eyes the next morning.

He stared at himself in the dingy bathroom mirror, hands braced on the edge of the sink. In addition to the bags, his cheeks were hollow and his hair hung limply in his eyes, long past needing a cut.

He was running himself ragged, and he _still_ didn't feel like he'd gotten anywhere. He had no idea who turned Wyatt, and vanquishing all these demons didn't seem to be doing any good. When he'd gone back to the future with Bianca a few weeks ago, it had still been bleak and dismal despite everything he'd done. How could nothing have changed? What more could he do?

"_Chris_!"

He groaned, letting his head fall forward into his chest. Now it was Paige calling, and Chris was willing to bet they'd worked out some sort of rotation so that they could bother him all day if he didn't respond. Ignoring the splitting headache that was forming just behind his eyes, he threw a halfway clean shirt over his head and orbed into the manor.

Paige looked surprised, like she hadn't expected him to respond. He raised his eyebrows in question, and she put her hands on her hips. He prepared himself for the verbal attack.

"Hey, he's here!" She yelled first, and Chris heard the sound of pounding feet. He felt like a deer about to be cornered by the rest of the wolf pack.

Paige turned her attention back to him as Piper and Phoebe entered the attic. "How could you just ignore us like that, Chris? What if we were calling you because we were in trouble?"

"I would have known if it was serious," Chris replied immediately, prepared for this argument. "I would have sensed it."

"Doesn't change the fact that you're our Whitelighter, and you refused to come when we called." Piper crossed her arms over her chest and sent him a fierce glower, not unlike the one she'd given him the day she had banished him from the house.

"I'm not a dog, Piper," Chris replied, shooting her an annoyed look.

"Still, you should listen to us. We might have needed you for something else," Phoebe threw in. Chris wondered if they'd worked out the tag-team system before he'd shown up, or if it just came naturally. Probably the latter.

"Whatever," Chris said dismissively, turning his back on them. Paige understood his destination and darted around him, reaching the Book before he could. An exasperated sigh passed his lips. "_Paige_."

"Uh-uh, mister. You are going to tell us exactly what you know about the demon, or we'll get the answers from you ourselves." She looked supremely smug, and he suddenly felt wary. Smug Charmed Ones never boded well.

"And how are you planning to do that?" he asked, mostly succeeding in keeping his voice sarcastic.

She looked down at the book, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Thinking quickly, he orbed just behind her and read the page over her shoulder. She slammed the book closed, but not quickly enough.

"A Truth Spell? You can't be serious." He turned toward Piper and Phoebe. "You guys didn't actually agree to this, did you?"

Phoebe's expression didn't change, but her eyes showed her reluctance. "Why wouldn't we?"

"Because you two have already seen how it works," Chris replied, "And you know that it'll forces you to tell the truth to each other, too. And everyone you talk to will forget, which is really inconvenient if you're planning on getting anything done today—"

"How did you know all that?" Piper interrupted sharply, eyes a little wide. "How'd you know that Prue cast the spell once?"

Chris stayed quiet for a moment. Then he figured it was safe enough and said, "You're not a secret in the future, Piper. None of you are."

"Bianca said—" Chris whirled around and Paige broke off, looking uncertain. After a heavy silence, she continued, "She said something about history books."

"Yeah, you're in them," Chris replied, swallowing passed the lump in his throat. "But I can't tell you any more. Future—"

"Consequences," the three chorused with him, and he scowled.

"But we need to know," Phoebe said, taking a step forward. "So either you tell us, or we use the spell."

"I have to be in the house for that spell to work," Chris said, preparing to orb if they started chanting.

"We've got a spell for that, too," Paige said triumphantly, holding up a small, wrinkled slip of paper. "Anti-orbing spell. Turns out those bimbos weren't quite as stupid as they looked."

Chris suppressed a shudder at the mention of the Spellman sisters. Kissing someone you thought was your aunt, regardless of whether or not she actually was, left some deep emotional scars. He shoved down the remnants of his disgust and focused on Paige again.

"You really think you can read that before I leave?" he asked incredulously. As far as ambushes went, this one was pretty poor. He had to wonder if their hearts were really in it, and it made him feel marginally better to think that they didn't really _want_ to force the truth out of him.

Phoebe was the first to slouch in defeat, the fight draining out of her in a long sigh. She met his gaze with tired eyes. "We really hate to threaten you, Chris. And we don't want to invade your privacy, either. That's part of the reason we've never used that spell, even though you drive us crazy with your secrets." She shook her head, and anger flashed through her eyes. "But you can't keep us in the dark about this, either. Not when whatever you're hiding almost killed Piper. Just tell us. _Please_."

Chris glanced at Piper before he could stop himself. She looked stubborn and unyielding like usual, but she had stayed firmly silent thus far. She was probably waiting to see if Phoebe could convince him.

His first instinct was still to hide this from them, if only to keep Piper away from it. If they did hunt the demon down, she would certainly tag along, and that thought was unbearable to him. How could he send her after the thing that killed her?

But what if coming back to the past had somehow altered the timeline, and the demon was coming after her _now_? If so, wasn't she ultimately in danger either way? Should he be helping them find it? If he did, there was a chance he could get there first, before any of them risked themselves.

He felt the last of his resolve crumble at the thought of getting rid of the demon permanently. Would his mother be safe then? How could she die if the demon that killed her was already dead? And it wasn't really going against his rule—his one rule, no personal gain—because he had to keep the sisters trust to save Wyatt. And to do that he had to tell them the truth.

"I don't know that much," he said finally, honestly. "And I'm not telling you everything—"

"Chris," Phoebe said in warning, and Piper likewise opened her mouth to protest.

Chris held up his hands at both of them. "Not because of future consequences. There are some things—personal things—that I can't…. I won't—"

"Did this demon hurt someone you knew, Chris?" Phoebe asked, a shrewd, knowledgeable look in her eyes. _Too_ knowledgeable. Chris cursed yet again the fact that she was an empath. He wished that particular power could have taken a few more years to develop. But then again, maybe this had nothing to do with her powers. Maybe she was just naturally intuitive.

He stared at her for a beat and then looked away, eyes settling randomly on the sack of crystals in the corner of the room. He nodded curtly. "I was fourteen."

"I'm sorry," Phoebe said quietly, and he looked sharply at her again.

"Don't bother," he answered, a little more coldly than he'd intended. "It was a long time ago."

Apparently she didn't buy it, because she was still staring at him like he was a wounded animal lying in the middle of the road. Come to think of it, they were _all_ staring at him like that.

"I know that he can conjure athames," Chris said loudly, drawing their attention back to the reason for this conversation in the first place. "And the athame has a symbol etched into the blade—an inverted cross surrounded by three stars."

"Anything else?" Piper asked, her sympathy seemingly forgotten, and Chris was glad of it.

"We were never able to come up with a name, but my—" He broke off, biting his tongue hard at the almost slip-up. Mentioning that he had a brother probably wouldn't set off their suspicions, but it was still information he wanted to keep to himself. He couldn't believe how badly this whole situation was messing with his head. "My family did find out that other demons knew of him, and they were afraid of him. No one would ever give us information, even when we—ah, _forcefully_ questioned them."

"You didn't find _anything_ else?" Paige asked again, a look of consternation on her face. Chris wondered if she expected more information. He supposed he _had_ built up suspense by refusing to tell them what he knew.

"Well, we were going to keep looking, but our search was interrupted a year or two later."

"By what?" Piper asked absently, and Chris could see from the look on her face that she was lost in thought.

"Honestly? Wyatt." he said, tucking his hands into his pockets to ease the awkwardness of the moment. Didn't help much. "He was…taking over, by that time."

Piper looked at him, and for the first time her stern mask wavered. She looked horrified. "But he couldn't have been more than eighteen!"

"Seventeen, actually." Chris corrected her darkly. Then he regretted it when he saw the stricken look on Piper's face.

"It was his teenage years that completely turned him, I think," Chris said carefully, wanting to explain but not wanting to give away too much. "People are just naturally hot-headed and defiant at that age. And because he was turned when he was young, the inclination to rebel just went farther than normal."

Piper looked no less disturbed. He couldn't get rid of the truth for her, and he certainly couldn't tell her that _her_ death had helped push Wyatt over the edge, so he moved on.

"The only other thing I know about the demon is that he attacked several other witches after—" he broke off again, as much to protect himself as to keep his secrets.

"After he did whatever it is he did to your family," Phoebe finished for him. He didn't look at her, had no desire to see the compassion and pity that were surely visible on her face.

"Yeah. So the demon wasn't just attacking at random. Whoever he is, he had a plan. Probably one that was overshadowed by Wyatt's rise to power."

"Okay, so what if this mysterious demon somehow found out about you coming back here?" Piper suggested, an eyebrow raised. "What if he thinks you're trying to stop whatever they do in the future? Maybe they're putting the plan into action now, so that you can't screw it up."

Chris contemplated that. It made sense, but he wasn't surprised; Piper rarely suggested something that she hadn't thought through completely. "It's possible. But if that's the case, how'd he find out about me?"

"Wait," Paige said suddenly, and Chris glanced at her. She looked serious, her eyebrows furrowed deep in thought, and she was absently fingering the bracelet on her wrist. "If it's happening now instead of in the future, couldn't all those people—the people who were also attacked—be at risk now?"

Chris' eyes widened; he hadn't considered that before. He'd been too caught up in the danger for Piper. "I don't—I mean, I guess—"

"Well, then, can you think of anyone who could be a target?" Paige asked urgently, obviously afraid that innocent witches could be dying as they spoke.

"I—I don't…" Chris faltered, and his eyes locked on his mother. In that moment, all he wanted to do was tell them. They would protect her if he did, and she would be saved from whatever had killed her in his past and almost killed her in this one. "No," Chris answered instead, and his gaze settled on the floor. "Most of them aren't born yet."

"Wait, what was that?" Phoebe asked, sounding suspicious. A glance at Paige revealed that the youngest sister had the exact same look on her face. Not good. "Are you keeping something from us again, Chris?"

"No!" He answered, slightly panic-stricken. Then he took a deep breath and added, "I mean, yes, but no. Not anything you need to—You don't understand how important it is that I—"

"Why'd the demon go after Piper?" Phoebe asked fiercely. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her stance was confrontational. "Chris?"

"I don't know," he answered, and his voice stayed strong until the last syllable. The tiny break didn't go unnoticed by Phoebe.

"Does he get her in the future?" she asked, her voice rising an octave. "Is that why he attacked her now?"

Chris couldn't believe this. Everything was falling apart at the seams. He'd worked so hard for so long to keep everything from them; how had it gotten so out of control?

Well, he knew how. It had happened the second the demon decided to meld the future with present. All of his lies had finally shattered in that moment, and now he was left dealing with the rubble.

"Can we please just concentrate on the task at hand?" he asked, not sure what else to do but direct their attention elsewhere. "If you're right, Paige, we can't just—"

All three of the Charmed Ones had opened their mouths to speak, each face heated and angry, but it was Leo who interrupted him. Chris' father orbed in unexpectedly.

"The Elders have been filling me in on a host of new witch-attacks," he began, but broke off when he caught the looks on the sisters' faces. His gaze swung toward Chris. The Witchlighter carefully angled his head away, afraid that Leo was still looking for similarities.

"What happened?" Leo asked instead, eyes lingering on Chris and then flicking over to Piper.

"We're not really sure," Piper answered, frowning thoughtfully. "Chris?"

"We're trying to find the demon," Chris explained, somewhat stiffly. "The one that attacked Piper."

"Oh, good," Leo said, looking a little surprised. "Have you found anything?"

"We know that—"

"We know that Chris is keeping something from us. Something about Piper," Paige interrupted, hands on her hips and expression sour. Chris sent her a nasty look.

"I'm always keeping stuff from you," he answered, not wanting to bother with lies and cover stories anymore. "Get over it, already."

"Don't you _dare_ speak to us like that, young man!" Piper began angrily, eyes flashing and hands fluttering to rest on her hips. "Now, if this has to do with me, then I think I have a right to know—"

"No you don't! None of you have the right to know the future. And I don't know why you keep pushing me to tell you, anyway. I've been there; I _lived_ there. Trust me, it's not something you want to hear about."

"But if it can help people now, then you should tell us. You shouldn't hold back information that could save innocents." Paige responded, arms crossed over her chest.

"Some innocents are meant to die," Chris shot back, anger surging through his veins "You think I don't want to save everyone I've ever lost? You think I want to grow up without a family? There are some things that you _can't_ change, no matter how much you want to. You learned that, Paige, when you put on your grandmother's boots."

Paige paused for a moment, a hint of uncertainty flashing across her face. Then it cleared, and she began, "But this is about Piper, not—"

"Look, do you still have the dagger from the attack?" Chris interrupted, and Phoebe shot him a furious glare. He looked at Piper, who seemed to be the calmest of the three, and she nodded. "Use it. Scry."

"But what if—"

"You asked for my help, right? Well, you're getting it," he said firmly, face set. When none of them moved, he fought the urge to sigh and added, "You realize that if something _does_ happen to Piper in the future, the best way to eliminate the threat is to find the demon?"

Paige was the first to move. She took a few steps toward the door and tugged on Phoebe's arm. "Come on. The crystal's in the kitchen."

"I'll go mix up some basic potions," Piper said as Phoebe and Paige exited the room. Chris looked at her sharply, wondering why she wasn't pushing for more information.

"We need to talk about this," she began by way of explanation. "But we need to find this demon first. Just don't think this is the end of this conversation."

She glared at him warningly for a minute and then left, following her sisters down the stairs.

_It's never the end_, Chris thought, closing his eyes and breathing out a sigh.

"Does something happen to her?"

Chris opened his eyes and looked at Leo. The Elder's face was pinched and concerned, but Chris saw none of the usual distrust there. Chris would have preferred Leo to suspect him. It was easier that way. "I can't tell you that."

"I'm an Elder," Leo countered, an argument he'd used many times before.

"An Elder who goes from Earth to Up There and back again whenever he feels like it," Chris responded. At the affronted look on Leo's face, he added, "Look, I don't think it's bad that you're here, but you can change the future just as easily as any of them."

Leo stared at him for a few seconds, gaze unwavering, and Chris struggled not to look away. He'd gotten used to avoiding gazes and telling his lies carefully to the floor.

"I don't think I could resist stopping something bad from happening to my family, if I knew," Leo said finally, almost like a confession. Then, after a slight pause, he asked, "Haven't you ever wanted to look up your parents? To warn them so they'll be prepared?"

Chris almost laughed at the question. He reined in that particular response and answered, "I'm hoping that stopping Wyatt will be enough. If it's not…" he drifted off, unsure. If it wasn't enough, what would he do? Come back to the past again? This time for purely selfish reasons?

No, he couldn't do that. It would be catastrophic. "If it's not, then I'll just have to live with it. I've done it before."

Leo didn't say anything for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was uncertain. "Is it that bad?"

Chris smiled, but it was a humorless thing. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry," Leo said abruptly, and Chris was bewildered. When he was younger, he had wanted nothing more than to hear his father apologize for the neglect and abandonment and constant favoritism. But in this context, he wasn't even sure how to take it.

"For what?" he asked finally.

"For not being a better father, I guess," Leo explained, and Chris' heart sped up to an almost painful rhythm. Did he know? Chris knew he'd suspected, but had he really figured out—"I can't help but think that if I'd taken better care of Wyatt, been around for him more or something, then maybe it wouldn't have turned out this way."

Wyatt. Of course this was about _Wyatt_. Bitterness flooded through Chris, bringing with it a whole lot of disappointment. He suppressed the latter emotion by focusing on the first one.

"Trust me, you not being there for Wyatt has _nothing_ to do with it," Chris sneered, his voice too cold to sound comforting.

Leo looked at him strangely, probably picking up on the dark undertones in Chris' reply. "Look, Chris, I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted—"

"I get it. You wanted to feel better about Wyatt turning evil under your watch," Chris retorted, because he knew it would hurt Leo and at that moment he really wanted to.

The lines around Leo's mouth tightened and his eyes hardened, and he looked much more like the father Chris knew. "That's not fair, and you know it," he argued, seemingly angrily, but Chris could hear the fear just beneath the surface. It told him that Leo had thought the exact same thing. "I love my son, and I'm doing the best I can."

"Why do you even care what I think, Leo?" Chris asked, trying not to respond to the emotional declaration. "Last I checked, you hated me."

"I never hated you," Leo replied, still frowning. "I just wanted to protect my family."

"Whatever," Chris said dismissively. He turned back towards the Book, not because he had something to search for, but because he really didn't want to have to look at Leo anymore. "I don't need you trying to make up for it now."

"Chris, I—"

A flurry of movement interrupted him, and before Chris was aware of what was happening, rough, dark hands had grabbed him from behind and leveled a knife at his jugular.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the demon said, yanking Chris backwards a few steps. Chris looked toward Leo, who was poised to call for the girls. "You want to kill the little Witchlighter?"

Chris felt the cold metal blade dig into the skin of his neck, hard enough to keep him completely still. He looked over at Leo, who was standing completely motionless, expression frozen on his face. Chris flicked his eyes toward the door in silent communication.

"Don't even think about it," The demon breathed close to Chris' ear, and his voice sent chills creeping up Chris' spine. "Unless you want to see your mother die. _Again_."

Chris flinched, and the blade bit into his skin hard enough to draw blood. He inhaled sharply. "How do you know about that?" he breathed.

"I have some useful informants," The demon responded, almost indifferently, knotted hands still gripping the dagger at Chris' throat. "He won't kill her if you come with me. He wants to meet you."

"Who?" Chris asked sharply, but the demon simply pushed the dagger farther into his neck.

"You'll see. Or if you don't, you'll see her die. Again."

That simple statement was enough to decide it. Chris looked at Leo again, who was still immobile, afraid to move for fear of putting Chris in more danger. Their gazes locked for a fraction of a second. Then Leo shouted, "Chris, don't!"

Chris broke eye-contact with Leo and nodded once, very curtly to avoid more wounds from the blade. The demon grunted in satisfaction and shimmered away, and Chris felt himself being dragged along with him.

_TBC...._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Whooo, did this site frustrate everyone last night, or was it just me? After a few hours' annoyance, it finally allowed me to upload and update documents and read all of your wonderful reviews! Thanks to everyone who's still following this!_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Chris!" Leo roared, but it was useless; the attic was completely empty aside from himself. "Paige, Piper! Phoebe!"

A swirling cloud of orbs formed beside him, and Paige appeared with both sisters in tow.

"What happened? Where's Chris?" Piper asked immediately, stepping away from her sisters to look around.

"Gone. The demon—"

"He was _here_?" Paige interrupted immediately, looking intensely surprised. "Why didn't you call us?"

"Because he had an athame at Chris' throat!" Leo replied, voice rising to combat the sisters' outbreak of babbling. The three of them tended to get overwhelming in critical situations. "He shimmered in and grabbed Chris, said someone wanted to talk to him. I could tell Chris was figuring out some way to escape, but then the demon said something about his mother—"

"His mother?" Piper interrupted, hands held up as if she intended to freeze him.

"Oh, God," Phoebe said, looking like she'd just realized something terrible. "What if that's who the demon got in his timeline? His mom?"

"And if he's threatening her in this timeline, it might be the reason Chris went with him," Paige answered, eyes wide.

"Okay, Paige, scry for Chris, and Phoebe, finish making the potions. We'll still need firepower to take on this guy." Piper commanded firmly, taking charge of the situation in the way that elder siblings always did. "Leo, can you sense Chris anywhere?"

Leo closed his eyes and concentrated, searching for the distinctive presence that he'd come to associate with Chris. He expanded his magical radar to encompass the whole city, but there was nothing. Not even a blip.

"No," Leo answered, opening his eyes again. He found himself alone in the attic with Piper. "Which means he's probably in the Underworld, and scrying won't do any good."

"It'll give Paige something to focus on," Piper responded distractedly, lost in thoughts and calculations. "Otherwise she'll just pace around the attic and work herself into a frenzy."

"But it won't help us find him," Leo replied quickly, and his voice was more expressive than he would have liked. Piper looked up, eyes clearing.

"You're really concerned," Piper noted.

"When I went after him the other day—" he broke off abruptly, not sure what he wanted to say. That for a few seconds he'd thought Chris might be their son? But Chris had told Leo point-blank it wasn't true. Leo didn't think Chris could have lied to his own father, so that man probably wasn't Leo. And besides, he and Piper weren't together anymore. He knew there was no hope of mending that relationship, so there was no way they could have a second son.

But still… it had shifted Leo's perception slightly. In those few seconds when he'd thought he was looking at his own child, tortured and broken from a future that was beyond Leo's wildest nightmares, compassion and fierce protectiveness had welled up within him. And the emotions hadn't gone away, even after Chris had denied it.

"'When you went after him the other day…'" Piper prompted, clearly impatient for an answer.

Leo focused on her again, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "He was pretty broken up. Maybe witnessing the demon attack hit him hard because of what happened to his mother."

Piper looked sympathetic. "I can imagine. I remember how upset I was while we were facing the water demon that killed mom. Every victim felt like her."

"How are we going to find him?" Leo asked, and this time he didn't hide the concern from his voice or his expression. The young Witchlighter had sacrificed a lot to come back and save Wyatt, and he obviously cared about the sisters. Leo would hate for something to happen to him now.

"I don't know," Piper replied, eyebrows furrowed deeply. Then she said, a solemn promise in her words, "But we'll figure it out."

* * *

Chris knew he had ended up in the Underworld before he'd even fully arrived. The piercing cold had already started to seep through his clothes and settle deeply into his bones. He didn't fight it as he shimmered into existence, just let the cold engulf him completely. Some things were too permanent and ubiquitous to fight.

"Finally. I was beginning to think the witches had vanquished you." The voice was curt, male, and most surprisingly of all, polished. His words were carefully enunciated and spoken in an elegant, refined way that was completely at odds with the basic, dismal stone cave surrounding them.

"Of course not," The demon holding Chris replied, sounding annoyed and slightly hostile. He shoved Chris roughly forward, and the Witchlighter stumbled to his knees. "I've brought the brat. Personally I don't know what you're so concerned about—doesn't look like much of a threat."

Chris kept his eyes forward, searching for the owner of the stylish voice, but at the same time he flicked his hand toward the demon, who wasn't prepared for any sort of attack. He flew through the air and landed with a loud, sickening thump against the craggy stone wall.

A deep chuckle sounded, but Chris couldn't figure out where it came from. "You shouldn't underestimate this one, my friend," the disembodied voice said, sounding amused and eerily formal. "He's the son of a Charmed One and a Whitelighter, after all."

"I don't care who his parents are, 'long as we kill him and the Charmed Ones don't come looking for me," The demon replied bitterly, and Chris glanced back to see him disentangling himself from his long, billowing cloak.

The hood had fallen, and Chris was almost afraid to look into the face of his mother's killer. He closed his eyes to gather courage and then opened them again, taking in the demon's appearance. His skin was black, but swarthy and rough in a way that made it unnatural. Similarly, his features were human-esque, but off just slightly, as if they had been burned and blurred.

"Will you never trust me, Crusk?" the voice replied with a sigh, "We've been partners for a long time, and The Charmed Ones have never come after us before."

"Yeah, _partners_," The demon called Crusk scoffed. Chris thought knowing his name somehow made him a little less frightening. "Why don't you show yourself, then? After all, he's already seen me."

"True enough," the voice said. A moment later a human figure began to appear, so slowly that Chris had to blink a few times to be sure he was seeing it.

"You'll have to forgive me for not introducing myself, Christopher. Handing you my demon-given name would be unwise, but you can call me Jack."

Chris blinked at the being in front of him. He looked, for lack of a better word, _normal_. He was completely human in appearance, even good-looking, and his body was well-toned. The navy blue suit and tasteful tie made his facade even stranger, and so did the sensible, stylish haircut and bland smile.

"What the hell are you?" Chris asked, pulling himself to his feet. Crusk, probably still sore from Chris's sneak attack, shoved Chris' shoulders hard. Chris wanted to fight him, didn't want to be forced into such a vulnerable position, but he was vastly overpowered and didn't think he should push it.

"I was born a demon," the man said, smile widening into an almost cruel grin. "But I find the look of mankind much more attractive than, say, Crusk."

Chris resisted the urge to snicker, reminding himself of his dangerous predicament. He was trapped in the Underworld with two demons, both of which could have any number of lethal powers.

"That's not to say I don't enjoy the company of demons. I confess humankind is a bit too weepy and feeble for my tastes," The normal-looking demon, Jack, continued, possibly due to Crusk's angry grunt. "But my preferences are unimportant at the moment. There's a much more important topic to discuss. Mainly, _you_."

"Me?" Chris asked, with as much scoffing indifference as he could muster.

"You," The demon agreed with a nod of his head. "Or more precisely, how much damage you've caused to the timeline."

"I haven't caused any _damage_ to it," Chris began fiercely, but Jack held up his well-groomed hand and Crusk shoved Chris roughly again.

"Yes, I'm sure you've come to 'fix it,'" Jack replied, and Chris wouldn't have been surprised if he'd rolled his eyes. The sneering indifference in his tone was definitely genuine. "But the thing is, some of us don't _want_ it to be fixed."

"You think it's any better for you in the future?" Chris asked, eyebrows raised incredulously. "He _owns_ you—all of you. You'll be working for his own private army in twenty-three years' time."

Jack flicked his wrist uncaringly, as if this held little importance to him. "Perhaps. But evil reigns freely over good and nearly all witches are dead. I must confess an affinity for such a universe."

"You'd rather bow down to a dictator?" Chris asked scornfully. His lips twisted. "How do you even know about what it's like there?"

Again Jack waved off Chris's question as if it held no significance, but Crusk replied, "Didn't I tell you, brat? We have contacts—useful ones."

"I believe _I _have the contacts, Crusk," Jack replied, nose wrinkling slightly. "You were nothing before you joined me."

"I was a _damn_ good assassin," Crusk growled from deep in his throat, teeth bared and eyes wide. "And I've had just about enough insults from you—"

"Calm yourself," Jack's calm, collected mask did not falter in any way, but his eyes flashed for a brief second. "And don't pretend to be something other than what you are."

"Well, that's hypocritical," Chris spoke up, the words slipping past his lips before he'd had time to think about them. "Looking a little _human_, there, Jack."

This time the demon's face _did_ shift; his skin bulged and bubbled, and his entire appearance warped into something that looked like a demon—something evil. Chris watched, transfixed, as what appeared to be horns split through tanned skin and inched their way up the demon's forehead.

Then the transformation halted and the normal-looking face returned, blinking back into existence as if a switch had been flipped. Once the bizarre interlude was finished, the demon wordlessly held up his hands, palms facing toward Chris.

A burning sensation began in Chris's chest. It was soft at first, a prickly feeling that caused him to shift in discomfort. It grew and intensified until Chris was gasping for breath. The pain roared through him, twisting and shredding his nerve-endings, and Chris threw back his head and bellowed into the cold, still air. He couldn't hear himself over the blood rushing swiftly through his ears, and he couldn't focus on anything but the fire flowing through his veins. It scorched every part of his body.

Then it was over as quickly as it had come, and Chris found himself lying on his back against the rough granite floor. He was panting heavily, his body feeling weak and useless after such brutal treatment.

"Do not test me, Witchlighter," Jack spoke, and his voice was not nearly as calm now. Chris stared at Jack, noticing that the demon's features were still shifting and bulging. It looked as if Jack had outgrown a mask. The disgusting, unnatural sight added to Chris' nausea.

"What do you want?" Chris asked, and his voice was hoarse and gravelly.

"I want to know what you've told The Charmed Ones," The demon replied, tightly controlled anger lacing through every syllable. "I want to know every change you've made, every demon you've vanquished, everything you've done since you stepped into the past."

"Why?"

"Because I want to make sure I can change it back," the demon replied definitively, a dark, evil promise in his words.

"And if I don't tell you?" Chris asked, voice still rough.

The demon raised its eyebrows, which seemed to be made of tiny follicles of hair and minute, spiky horns, all at once. He nodded at Crusk, who bent down and wrapped his fingers around Chris's throat. Chris immediately began to gag, fingernails raking against Crusk's hardened skin.

"I'm sure we can persuade you."

_TBC...._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Thanks again for the reviews!_

**Chapter 6**

Chris had lost his voice. He arched noiselessly into the air as the pain wracked through him, setting every cell on fire. It continued until he couldn't tell his hands from his feet, his head from his stomach. Everything was just one giant undulating wave of agony.

And then it broke again, like a vicious wave slamming against the ocean floor, and Chris went limp. He coughed, severe shudders jolting through his system. His vision was hazy and dark around the edges, and he could only just hear Jack's voice through the buzzing in his ears.

"You're stronger than I gave you credit for," Jack was saying, and he didn't sound annoyed or angry, just amused. Like he was _enjoying_ it. "But then again, I'm sure this isn't the first time someone has done this to you. Perhaps not this particular brand of torture, however… energy balls, maybe? Protective shields?"

"Go…to Hell," Chris managed to croak, voice barely more than a hoarse whisper. The effort cost him a lot, and he coughed excruciatingly again.

"You know, threatening a demon with Hell isn't quite the same as threatening a human. We avoid the place if we can, but here's the thing, Christopher: We can crawl back _out_."

Chris thought he should have a reply to this, but his mind was fading and he wasn't quite sure what it should be. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes again Jack was in the middle of another speech. Chris realized he'd lost consciousness for a small moment.

"If you'll just tell me what you've done with the timeline, I'll stop," Jack said, repeating the same promise he had made a hundred times already. "That's all you have to do—"

"You won't let me walk out of here alive, and we both know it," Chris gurgled, squeezing his eyes shut as he worked the words passed his bruised throat.

"No," Jack said, and Chris could imagine him staring down at his polished fingernails, looking utterly bored. Of course, Chris couldn't gather the energy to turn his head or even move his eyes, so he couldn't be sure. "But I'll kill you quickly and painlessly—doesn't that sound nice right now? Painlessness?"

Chris ignored the question and put all his effort into lifting his hand. In a slow, sloppy movement, he gestured toward Jack. The demon shuddered and flinched as if a cold wind had suddenly buffeted into him. Chris's hand dropped limply at his side again.

"Incredible," Jack murmured. "You shouldn't be able to move right now, Witchlighter, much less use your powers."

Chris opened his mouth, but nothing more than a pained grunt passed his lips. He closed it again. As if on cue, Jack started up his torture, and Chris ground his teeth together as the pain shuddered through him. It let up quicker than Chris expected, and he lay in an exhausted heap afterward.

"Clearly my power has less affect on you than I would have thought," Jack said, and finally some hint of annoyance leaked through that calm, cool façade. "But no matter, we'll just have to reach you in other, messier ways."

Chris didn't see him move, but Jack must have gestured, because a second later Crusk was leering over him. The ugly demon conjured an athame, one that looked similar to the dagger that had stabbed Piper. Chris closed his eyes against the sight of the knife edging closer and closer to his skin.

This time, he managed to scream.

* * *

"Ugh, this is useless!" Paige threw the Book of Shadows onto the couch, where it bounced precariously and then settled just away from the edge. It was a mark of her frustration that she'd treated the book in such a way.

"Paige," Phoebe said chidingly, more than used to playing the middle sister by now. She didn't reproach her younger sister as often as Piper, but the responsibility did fall on her shoulders occasionally.

"But there's _nothing_," Paige huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Nothing about that stupid demon, or his dagger, or that symbol or _anything_!"

"I'm not surprised," Phoebe said. Calming Paige soothed her nerves as well, making it easier to concentrate. Worried though she was about Chris, panicking wouldn't help him. "Chris and his family searched for years. They would have found something if it had been that obvious."

Frown lines appeared between Paige's eyebrows. "But they wouldn't have had access to the book, would they? Unless they knew us…"

"Apparently Chris knew Wyatt, at least at some point. But even if they hadn't had the Book of Shadows, there are other records like ours. They just usually aren't as complete."

Paige raised a brow, sufficiently distracted, "How'd you learn all this?"

Phoebe smiled. "I can't even remember. It's funny, the things you pick up over time."

Paige's interest faded back into her customary aggravation. "But none of those things will help us find this demon any quicker. Chris isn't my favorite person, but…" she trailed off.

"I know," Phoebe said, patting her arm understandingly. None of them liked his secrets or his stubborn determination to keep everything to himself, but the thought of him hurt or _worse_ was intolerable.

"But what else can we do?" Paige asked, and she began to pace again, making tight, dizzying circles around the cramped attic. "Leo's off asking the elders, Piper's out buying more ingredients for the potions that _might_, but probably _won't_, work, and…."

"Paige?" Phoebe asked, because Paige had broken off abruptly and was now wearing a wide-eyed, stunned expression.

Paige jerked out of the trance at the sound of Phoebe's voice and began to pace again. Phoebe resisted the urge to yank her sister to a halt.

"We don't have any idea what the demon is or where in the Underworld it took Chris," Paige summed up quickly, her words tumbling out of her mouth one right after another. "We don't know its boss, or _anything_ at all about it, really—except for one thing."

"Which is what?" Phoebe asked quickly, sitting up and listening closely.

"We know he wants Piper," Paige stated. She finally stopped her rapid pacing, coming to a standstill right in front of Phoebe.

"If you're thinking of using Piper as bait…" Phoebe drifted off warningly, eyes narrowed at the thought.

"Not by herself, obviously," Paige assured, the nervous energy back and shivering through her tone. "What if Leo or I orbed down there with her?"

"But we don't even know where they might be," Phoebe argued, but she was beginning to see the logic behind the plan.

Paige shrugged, the casual movement at odds with her jumpy behavior. "I'm thinking the demon or his boss can sense us—he knew not to attack until Chris was alone with Leo."

"Okay, but what if the demon never wanted Piper?" Phoebe asked, pointing out the most obvious flaw in Paige's plan. "What if it was all a setup to get Chris?"

Paige stayed quiet for a moment, thinking hard on Phoebe's question. Phoebe waited with as much patience as she could muster.

"Then Piper won't be in any danger at all, and she'll come back," Paige finished flatly, eyes sparkling now that they might have an actual _plan_. "But what else have we got?"

Phoebe said nothing, unable to deny the truth of those words. They really had _nothing—_no information, no leads, no knowledge of the enemy's weaknesses. They didn't even know what had happened to Chris after he'd vanished with the demon. The only thing they knew was that the kidnapping probably had something to do with Chris being from the future.

The worst of it, though, was working against an unknown deadline. They weren't sure how long Chris had—Phoebe refused to think he was already past helping—and it made every moment seem vital. And the loss of each second, each minute, each hour was made more palpable by the fact that they weren't sure how many they had left.

A light jingle filled the air, and a second later Leo appeared. Once his orbs had put themselves back together, he said, "The Elders don't have any useful information."

He looked upset by the news, his face pinched and drawn.

"That's okay, because we think we have a plan," Paige spoke first, as expected, but to Phoebe's surprise, she sounded almost hesitant.

"Really?" Leo asked, looking enthusiastic. "What?"

Again Paige faltered for a second, glancing at Phoebe. Then she said, "Since the demon's already gone after Piper once, we were thinking of sending her down there," At the look on Leo's face, she continued hurriedly, "Not alone, but that is a detail we'd have to work out."

Leo wasn't looking any fonder of the idea, and Paige sent Phoebe a pleading look. Grudgingly, Phoebe said, "I don't like it either, Leo, and we'll have to ask Piper before we decide anything. But… I don't think there's anything else we can do."

Leo's harsh expression crumbled at that. "You haven't found anything?"

"No," Phoebe answered, tone bleak. "We don't even know what we're looking for, and we have almost nothing to go on. I'm afraid that this might be the only chance we've got."

Phoebe noticed the way Leo's hands clenched into fists, but he just said, "We'll have to see what Piper says."

"What Piper says about what?"

Phoebe jumped and turned in surprise, along with Paige and Leo. Piper was standing at the attic archway, bags of ingredients slung around her wrists. She walked into the room and dumped the lot on the table next to the cauldron. Then she turned to them again, looking expectant.

"Paige came up with a plan," Leo allowed reluctantly, the worry in his eyes visible even from across the room. Phoebe glanced at Paige and could see similar anxiety in her sister's still, tense stance. She wondered if the youngest Halliwell was having doubts now that the plan might actually be put into action—and put her sister in danger.

"Well?" Piper asked, hands resting on her hips.

Paige cleared her throat and, after a look at Phoebe, began to explain.

* * *

Chris jerked awake, a moment of sheer bewilderment falling over him as he stared up at the dark, uneven ceiling. The confusion abruptly shifted into panic when he realized how much his body _hurt—_every muscle was burning and exhausted. He gasped and struggled to sit up; amid his flailing he caught sight of the deep, angry scars along his chest and forearms. They glistened wetly in the faint light, and his shirt was in tatters from where the knife had dug through fabric to reach skin.

Now he remembered. He slumped back down, realizing that he'd already tried every possible means of escape. There was nothing. The girls had no way of finding him, and his powers were completely drained. He would die in this dank, dismal cave. The only question was when, and how much he'd have to suffer before that moment came.

He took a deep breath and then forced himself into a sitting position, slowly this time. His muscles tensed in protest, but he clenched his jaw and pushed past the sharp tendrils of pain. He didn't understand Jack's power fully, but after receiving the brunt of it for a few hours, he'd learned a few things. One, that the continuous torture caused lingering damage, even if Chris couldn't physically see it, and two, that whatever Jack did managed to severely weaken Chris's powers.

Chris wondered when he'd lost consciousness, and how long Jack and Crusk had kept going afterwards. They'd probably stopped immediately when it was clear he wasn't going to jolt awake again. Jack wouldn't get his answers if Chris wasn't coherent enough to speak.

Jack wouldn't get his answers at all, Chris thought with satisfaction, but the pleasure was brief. Chris would be caught under Jack's thumb until either Jack or Crusk lost his temper and went too far. Chris was putting his money on Crusk. Would it be poetic, to die by the same demon that killed his mother? From where he sat, it just seemed ridiculous.

His throat tightened at the thought of Piper and the sisters. Would they be able to stop Wyatt from turning evil without him? Would Chris even exist; would his younger self be conceived now that Leo and Piper weren't together anymore? Probably not, but maybe it was better that way. He would really succeed in keeping his secret then, because no one would ever know.

He would never take part in the new future, the changed future. The future he had come back to the past to secure.

He growled and forced himself to rise from the ground. He couldn't just _give up_ like this. It wasn't the way he'd been raised; it wasn't the way he'd gotten through the destruction of the world and the fall of good magic. Gritting his teeth so hard he was afraid they might crack, he struggled to his feet. The entire cavern teetered around him, and he staggered back into the rocky, uneven wall. Head spinning, he blinked violently to clear his vision. What the hell had Jack _done_ to him?

"My God, are you still _fighting_?"

Chris, consumed as he was by the dizzying mess inside his head, hadn't noticed Jack shimmer into the cave. The Witchlighter blinked hard and looked around for Jack's cohort, but there was no sign of Crusk.

"Demons don't have a God," Chris muttered, voice small but filled with hate.

"Figure of speech," Jack replied, waving an airy hand. He did that a lot, Chris noticed. Particularly when he had something painful in mind. "Chris, why don't you just _give in_?"

He sounded honestly bewildered, and Chris barked a short laugh. "You really _haven't_ been to my future, if you think this is all it takes to make me give in."

Jack looked angry now, and his skin was starting to bubble and melt again. Chris wondered if he'd ever see what Jack _actually_ looked like.

"You could ruin _everything_," He seethed, and his eye-color was shifting from blue to a deep blood-red. "Years of planning… you have no idea what you've stumbled into. You think this is all about your brother? That you can just stay here and act as protector, like it's that easy to stop?"

Chris's muscles tightened as another wave of dizzying pain washed over him, but he pushed himself away from the wall to stand firmly on his own feet. "If it wasn't, you wouldn't be keeping me here. You need to know what I've changed, because the truth is, it _is_ that easy," He didn't know if he believed those words. Sometimes he felt like nothing would ever alter the timeline, but he had finally seen a chink in Jack's armor and he wasn't about to let it slip past him. "One small change and everything will crumble down around you, no matter how _detailed_ your plans are."

And all at once Jack broke apart, skin breaking into a lumpy reddish membrane. Horns sprouted from his forehead again, and Jack's eyes turned from red to pitch-black. His back hunched, a series of bony ridges spurting out along his spine, and gruesome claws grew from his fingers and feet, shredding the fabric that encased them.

Chris stared, enthralled by the grisly change. Unlike the other instances, Jack's façade didn't blink back into existence after a few seconds. Instead, he towered over Chris, looking alien and macabre.

"You have no idea, you half-breed brat," The demon spat, and his voice was a chilling growl that seemed to echo all around the grotto. "You know nothing of what you speak—"

"I know that a demon who's apparently been planning something for years is afraid of _me_, the half-breed younger brother of the Twice-Blessed." Chris closed his eyes briefly against exhaustion, but the fury still pounded through him. "Kind of makes me feel important, _Jack_."

The demon snarled, and the sound quaked through Chris. It opened its mouth, sharp teeth glinting in the faint light, but something interrupted whatever the demon had been about to say. Chris wasn't sure what, but all of a sudden the demon was paying attention to something else—something that Chris couldn't see. Its features began to morph and liquefy, and gradually Jack was standing in front of him again. He was smiling sedately, but there was an evilness tucked under the sudden normalcy.

"Well, well, well," Jack said, voice placid. "I believe they've sent someone to rescue you."

"What?" Chris gasped, and then clutched at his ribs. Crusk had started kicking at him a few hours ago, after the knife had stopped being effective.

"Your mother decided to come for you," Jack said, and ice filled Chris's veins, stopping his heart cold. "Yes, surprising, isn't it?"

"No!" Chris shouted, tumbling back into the stone wall again, his hands pushing rapidly at the rough surface. He had to warn her to leave somehow, he had to get—

"Don't bother," Jack said, bending down so that he was looking Chris straight in the eye. "There's nothing you can do, now that she's here. I'll call for Crusk, and we _will_ find her."

Panic filled Chris, threatening to overwhelm him. "You can't—"

"So now you have a choice, Chris," Jack interrupted, eyes hard and unyielding; Chris caught a glimpse of the hideous demon behind the icy blue eyes. "If you tell me what you've changed, I won't hurt your mother. I have no reason to. _You're_ the one making it like this. So choose. Tell me what I want to know, or I'll kill her."

Chris stared, eyes wide and mouth slack. He couldn't make that choice. There was no way he could decide between Wyatt—the reason he'd come to the past, the person he had to _save_—and Piper.

Chris agonized, shaking his head frantically as if he could get rid of the question just by refusing to answer. But Jack was staring at him expectantly, face as cold and hard as the solid rock behind Chris's back, and Chris knew the choice had to be made.

"I won't tell you," he said, his voice shaking so much that his words were almost indistinguishable.

But Jack heard his answer and released a howl of rage. Then, as his features shifted dangerously again, he disappeared on spot, and Chris was left alone with the horror of his decision.

_TBC..._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: As always, thanks for taking the time to review! I know a lot of you are clamoring for the revelation, but it's not going to happen for a little while yet. It_ will _happen, though, I promise!_

**Chapter 7**

"So… what now?"

Leo sighed and turned back to Piper, pausing briefly in his scrutiny of their dank surroundings. She was standing with her hands on her hips, her face expectant. "Well, if the demon can sense you, he should know you're in the Underworld. Now we wait and see if anyone shows up."

Piper knew all of this already, Leo was sure. She was just running high on impatience. She had agreed quite easily to becoming bait, just like Leo had known she would, and they'd spent most of the afternoon carefully devising a plan. Leo had orbed Piper down alone, without Paige and Phoebe in case the demon decided that three Charmed Ones were two too many. If they didn't get a response soon, they would travel sporadically around the Underworld, on the off chance that demon could only sense them from a certain distance away.

The plan was as well-thought-out as possible, but there were still gaping holes, and it wasn't anywhere near safe. Leo hated it, but it was their best course of action under the circumstances.

After a few minutes of tense silence, Piper cleared her throat. "If this doesn't work… what will we do next?"

Leo didn't answer for a long moment. Then, he admitted unwillingly, "I don't know."

Piper scowled at that. "Me neither. So it's either, wait to see if this demon wants to come kill me and then find some way to trick him into taking us to his lair, or wait until…"

She drifted off, seemingly unable to continue, and Leo filled in quietly, "Until it's too late for Chris."

Piper nodded and turned in a sharp circle, eyes darting around the cavernous rock walls. Leo glanced up at the stone that sat just over their heads; he had always hated being here. He felt vaguely like he'd been buried alive, sealed permanently inside a place he didn't belong.

"Hey!"

Leo's eyes flew to Piper and he took a step forward, half expecting her to be surrounded by demons. But there was nothing, and he frowned in confusion.

"Hey, demon! Get your ass over here!"

"Piper!" Leo hissed, wrapping a hand around her arm to stall her next shout. "We're here to get one demon's attention, not bring on a whole crowd of them."

"But Leo this could take _forever_," Piper replied, lowering her voice to match his. "Are we just supposed to stand around here looking stupid?"

Leo smiled, a little wryly. "That's pretty much what being the bait means. Just have a little patience, alright?"

She shot him a glare and shook her arm loose, but Leo noticed the way she took a small step toward him. She turned again, eyes still roaming restlessly over the barren landscape, and Leo felt something clench in his chest. God, he loved her. He didn't think he could ever stop, even if they would never be together again. He knew that there was too much bitterness and anger to go back, and it was probably better that way. He would have to return to the Elders sooner or later.

But that didn't change how he felt.

"What?" Piper asked, and Leo blinked, pulling himself back to the present situation.

He smiled at her. "Nothing."

She held his gaze, an indecisive frown wrinkling the space between her eyebrows. Leo longed to smooth it away with his fingers, but that wasn't his place. Not anymore. He glanced at his watch.

"I think it's about time we—" The words hadn't even fully left his mouth when he was rammed in the gut by a large, hulking figure.

Leo fell backwards at the impact, breath releasing in a whoosh as he struggled to throw off the cloaked demon. He pulled back his fist, reflexes from his days at Valhalla coming back to him, and smashed it straight into the demon's shrouded face. The beast reared back, knobby hands reaching under the hood of the cloak. Leo caught a flash of thick, blackish blood.

A shout awakened him to what was happening outside of his own fight, and Leo looked around frantically for its origin. Piper was a few feet away from him, being restrained by a demon that looked shockingly normal. He had her hands pinned behind her, and she was repeatedly elbowing him in the stomach to make him release her. It wasn't working.

Leo scrambled to his feet, but before he made it all the way there, the demon he'd been fighting barreled into him again. This time the demon's head caught him in the chest and Leo wheezed, struggling to stay on his feet as he fought the continued assault. He shouted for Piper, but the garbled message was lost as the demon straightened up and conjured an athame in his hands. Leo jumped away from it, eyes still searching for Piper in the corner.

But she wasn't there.

"Piper!" Leo shouted, freezing with fear as he realized that she wasn't anywhere around him. His heart halted for a second and then began beating double time. The demon must have shimmered away with her while Leo had been distracted. Leo had no way of reaching her now.

With a howl of rage, Leo focused his sudden and intense fury on the only thing available: The demon that had distracted him in the first place. He crouched low and ran at the demon, who struck out with the glistening dagger. Leo easily countered, twisting the demon's wrist until he heard a sharp _snap. _The dagger fell from the demon's grasp and an utterance of pain filtered through the fabric surrounding the demon's head. Without waiting for the demon to counter attack, Leo latched onto him and orbed back to the manor.

It was difficult, because the demon struggled once he realized what was happening. Leo mentally clung tighter, and a few seconds later they arrived in the middle of the attic.

The demon immediately roared and ran toward Leo, and Leo shouted, "Paige, Phoebe! Get in here!"

He dodged the demon with a quick move to the right, and the monster crashed into the bookshelf on the other side of the room. Paige arrived, orb-trail sparkling in the light from the attic windows, and Phoebe appeared right beside her, vial in hand.

"No, trap him!" Leo shouted, unable to give more of an explanation because the demon was rounding on him again.

Paige caught on quickly even she didn't completely understand the situation, and Leo faintly heard her yell, "Crystals!"

The demon stopped dead as the electrical field surged to life, magically trapping him. He snarled and took a step forward, but leapt back again when the crystals sent shockwaves through him.

Leo relaxed, but only slightly; Piper was still missing and the only way to find her was to question the captured demon.

"Where's Piper?" Phoebe asked, and Leo turned to look at her. She read the answer on his face, and her own expression crumbled.

"But we've got _him_," Leo said, gesturing to the demon in the crystal circle, He made an effort to sound as strong and cold as he could. "Which means we can find her. And Chris."

* * *

"Get your hands off of me!"

Chris jerked at the sound of her voice and shot to his feet, ignoring the lingering dizziness. He took a few steps forward as Jack and Piper appeared near the edge of the cave. Jack had Piper by the wrists, pinning her arms down so that she couldn't blow him up.

She pulled away just as Jack let her go, and she tumbled unsteadily to the floor.

"Piper!" Chris shouted, only just able to restrain himself from yelling, "Mom!" He reached her as quickly as possible, kneeling down next to her.

She turned and jumped to her feet, sparing Chris only a glance before she settled her furious gaze on Jack. With an almost carefree flick of her wrists, she sent Jack spiraling into a million pieces.

"Come on Chris, let's go!" Piper urged, tugging on his shoulder. He pulled himself to his feet and teetered dangerously for a moment, and Piper grabbed his arm to steady him.

"What's wrong with you?" She demanded, impatience and worry battling for dominance in her tone.

"Jack's—that demon's—power does something…" He curled his hands into fists and pulled away from Piper's grip, determined to stand on his own.

"We'll fix it at the house, come on!" She tugged on him again, but he grabbed her wrists to stop her.

"No, Piper, there are crystals," he said, and to his annoyance his speech was slightly slurred. He struggled to articulate better as he said, "Like the ones you use, but dark. They'll shock you if you get too close."

"Then orb!" Piper countered loudly, voice echoing along the cracks and crevices of the cave.

He shook his head, and then stopped suddenly because his world spun dangerously. "I don't have my powers. And there's a block anyway; I tried when they first brought me here."

He felt the panic begin to gnaw at him as he realized that Piper was caught in Jack's trap now, too. It had been okay when it was just him—well, it had sucked, but he had been dealing with it. He wasn't sure he could handle the thought of her being stuck here, as well.

Her eyes widened in comprehension. "So we're—"

"Trapped? Yes," a voice answered, but it wasn't Chris. Jack rematerialized behind Piper, his pieces putting themselves back together effortlessly until he looked like he'd never been shattered at all. His eyes were rimmed with a deep, crimson red. "And you're really going to wish you hadn't blown me up, witch."

Chris pulled Piper away and shifted in front of her, realizing the anger in Jack's demonic gaze. Jack stared at him for a moment, looking slightly surprised, and then he laughed. It was the demon's laugh, no matter what Jack's face looked like, and it resonated evilly around the cave.

Jack strolled casually up to Chris and elbowed him in the stomach. Chris' body, already weakened by the hours of torment, folded inward and he slumped to the ground. Jack just shook his head and continued to Piper.

Chris struggled for breath, watching every step Jack took toward Piper and knowing there was nothing he could do. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, like he wasn't quite in control of his body. The sensation abruptly reminded him of how he'd almost disappeared after Piper had been stabbed.

And then something clicked into place inside his head—something he should have caught a long time ago, but had been too frantic and worried to realize.

"Stop!" Chris shouted, with enough authority to actually halt Jack's steps. Chris stood again, strengthened by his sudden and powerful realization. "You kill her, and you'll never get your answers."

Jack looked uncomprehending for a moment. Then his expression shifted to one of rage, and his features began to morph. Chris didn't react, but he heard Piper's audible gasp. Chris didn't shift his eyes away from Jack's melting face. "You know as well as I do that if she dies, you won't be able to get anything from me."

Jack's face settled back into place, but the cruel smirk on his lips was distinctly demonic. "Clever, Christopher. But who said I was going to kill her? You're still walking around after our little sessions, aren't you?"

Chris staggered back when he realized what Jack was saying. He caught himself before he fell and regained his balance with difficulty. "You can't hurt her," he said, but his voice was nowhere near as commanding as it had been before.

"Oh, I can most assuredly hurt her," Jack replied, turning back to Piper. She looked bewildered but defiant. "I can't torture it out of you, Chris. I've learned that by now," Jack continued, reaching a hand toward Piper. She raised hers in defense, but he just chuckled. "Let's see if watching her will do the trick."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Chris launched himself at Jack, intent on clawing him away from Piper before the demon could do any damage. The action became unnecessary a moment later, because Jack froze in the act of reaching for her. The demon stepped back, and Chris took the opportunity to stride forward, sliding in front of his mother again. She shot him a half-annoyed look, like she couldn't figure out what he was doing.

"Where's Crusk?" Jack asked, his voice dangerous.

Piper snorted, and Jack looked at her sharply. "You mean the one that attacked Leo? Probably dead."

Jack stared at her, expression shifting just a little. Chris tensed, expecting an attack, but Jack just roared and shimmered out of the cave. Stunned, Chris stared at the space the demon had vacated, expecting him to return at any moment. After a few seconds of silence, however, it became clear that Jack wasn't going to reappear immediately. Chris slouched to the ground and ran a weary hand over his eyes.

"Chris?"

She sounded wholly concerned now, and he glanced up at her. She knelt next to him, and he resisted the urge to move away from her when she leaned close to him. The worry in her eyes reminded him of his childhood, when his injuries had been minor and the only thing he'd needed to make them better was his mother.

"I'm fine," he said. "Just... give me a minute."

"Chris, you're not fine," she replied, and he could hear the dawning horror in her voice as she took in the extent of his condition. She reached for the jagged slashes in his flesh, but pulled back quickly when he flinched. "What did they _do_ to you?"

He barked a harsh laugh. "Kind of obvious, don't you think?"

She shook her head in frustration and rocked back so that her weight was balanced on her toes. "Will you please stop with the prickly, defensive crap? I'm here to help you, you know."

"Great job with that!" he retorted, surging to his feet, somewhat revived by the flicker of anger that burned through him. He ran his hand through his hair in aggravation, causing his too-long bangs to fall into his eyes. "You realize you got yourself trapped here, too, don't you?"

She stood too, her hands resting on her hips, resolve hardening her face. "Why, no, Chris, I hadn't!" He opened his mouth furiously, but she silenced him with a pointed scowl. "We've been worried sick about you since you disappeared. This was the only way we could think to find you."

He stared at her incredulously. "You thought _this_ was a good idea? How did you get Leo to even agree to something like this?" His rage abruptly switched to his father. Couldn't Leo _ever_ do the right thing for his family?

"Leo can't control us anymore than you can," she retorted, tossing her hair over her shoulder irately. "The only difference between you two is, Leo's stopped trying."

Chris sneered at that. "That sure as hell isn't the only difference. I'm _nothing_ like him."

She sighed, and some of the fight slumped out of her. "Look, could we just stop arguing and try—?"

Unfortunately, the sudden absence of her anger did nothing to soothe his. "Look for a way out? There isn't one! I've tried _everything_, Piper. You've gotten yourself trapped here, with no way to escape and no way for anyone to find you. Dammit!" She began to speak, probably to deny his claims, but he shouted over her. "Do you ever think of the danger or the consequences? Did you forget everything I told you? You have to _stay alive_, Piper! The future's nothing without you!"

Her fury was back, lighting her eyes and crackling through her small frame. She squared her shoulders, and he resisted the urge to cower under her intense glare. "Don't you _dare_ tell me I don't understand the risk, Chris!" she ordered, her voice like steel. "My oldest sister died three years ago from a demon attack, and I have to live with that loss every single day of my life. I have to live with the fact that _I_ could be next, or Paige or Phoebe. So yeah, Chris, I _get_ what's at stake."

Chris flinched, taking a much-needed step away from her. He was silent for a moment, remembering the pictures he had seen of Prue during his youth. Finally, he asked slowly, "D'you ever consider that maybe the future wouldn't have turned out the way it did if you three had been more cautious?"

He didn't need to see the rage flash into her eyes to realize his question was a mistake. She took a step forward, closing the gap he'd created between them, and met his gaze. "Don't blame _me_ for everything that happened in your future! I did the best I could, and unlike you, I didn't have any future knowledge to go on. I don't know what went wrong with Wyatt, but I'm positive that I was the best mother I could have been. What more can I do?"

Chris swallowed. "I didn't—I didn't mean…" he drifted off, unsure of what to say next. He hadn't meant to suggest that Wyatt's turning was Piper's fault; he had been referring to what happened afterward. Piper's death to save Chris, Phoebe and Paige dying because they were too foolish to realize how weak they were without Piper.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, and he meant it.

She looked taken aback, and he wondered if he had ever apologized to them before. His secretive, closed-off attitude was so essential to him that it was hard to regret, but he knew how it must frustrate the sisters.

Piper's face showed the strain of the emotions warring within her. At last, Chris could see that Piper's compassion won out over her temper. "You're a good person, Chris," she admitted grudgingly. "But I get the feeling that everything you do and say is planned, like we don't even really know you—just the person you want us to see. You have no idea how incredibly irritating that is. Don't you trust us at all?"

He frowned and moved around her, walking the short distance across the cave. He wished they weren't having this conversation here, in such a terrible place. "It has nothing to do with trusting you."

"Then what?" Piper questioned, her voice drifting closer as she walked toward him again.

He stared at the stone wall in front of him without really seeing it, thinking of all the reasons he kept his secrets from the sisters. He didn't want to get attached, for one thing. It would be unbearable to have a family again here, only to return to the future and find that he was alone all over again.

And there was the fact that he didn't want to hurt them. He never wanted them to know the death and destruction that Wyatt had inflicted on the world. He felt like a war-ravaged survivor, and he wasn't going to pass on his scars to someone else. He didn't want to open those wounds, either, which he supposed was another reason, if a more selfish one.

"Do you blame us?" Piper asked, and she sounded sad. "Do you blame _me_?"

He whirled around to face her, surprise lighting his face. "No! Of course not." He took a deep breath and added, a little more composedly, "It was never your fault, Piper. I always knew that."

Then _what_?" She asked, sounding honestly puzzled.

He turned away again. He didn't say anything for a long time, but he could feel Piper's eyes on his back. "We should start looking for a way out again," he said finally, knowing that the blatant change in topic wouldn't go unnoticed by her. He just wasn't ready to face the answers to her questions.

He heard a deep sigh from behind him. "Thought you'd already checked?" Piper asked, and Chris knew from her tone that she was raising her eyebrows at him.

"That was before you decided to take part in this warped rescue mission," Chris explained, walking forward to the spot where the electricity had stopped him before. He reached out gingerly; the force field sizzled to life and sent a jolt of electricity through his entire arm. He yanked his hand back, waving it around to return the feeling to his fingers. "Still in place, then."

"Wait," Piper said, and Chris glanced back at her. "Does that mean you'd stopped looking? Before I got here?"

He focused his gaze elsewhere again, disliking her question. He shrugged. "There wasn't anything I could do."

"But you think there is now? What's changed?" Piper asked shrewdly.

Chris gritted his teeth together. "Jack's plan."

"What?"

He sighed and turned to face her again. "He thinks he can… use you. To get to me."

Piper nodded, and he knew she'd figured that out from listening to his conversation with Jack. "What does he want?"

"He wants to know what I've changed," Chris replied, absently smoothing his hands over the stone walls in hopes of finding some hidden outlet. "He wants to make sure the timeline stays the same, and that he can change it back if it's been altered too much." He looked at her and added, "If we can get out of this, we'll have a lot more information about Wyatt being turned. Jack knows about the future even though he shouldn't, and he said he had plans."

"Plans for Wyatt?" Piper asked, eyes widening. Then her mouth narrowed into a thin, harsh line.

"I think so, yes. He hasn't told me what, but he hasn't exactly been tight-lipped about it either." Chris smiled humorlessly. "He doesn't think I'll make it out of here alive."

"You will," Piper replied, suddenly fierce. "We _both_ will."

He nodded slowly, not sure if he believed her but willing to try. "Well then, help me look."

* * *

"Where are they?"

The demon tilted his head defiantly, hands curled into fists and pointed teeth bared. Leo moved the stone closer and the demon howled as the electricity coursed through him. After a minute, Leo pulled the stone back again and the demon immediately slumped over, breathing heavily. "_Where are they_?"

"I'm not telling you," The demon said, his voice low and gravelly.

Leo shifted the stone again, and the electric field sprang to life. He left it there for longer this time and glanced at Paige and Phoebe, who were standing to the right of him. He wanted to keep his fury in check and only do what was necessary, but the sisters looked approving, both sets of eyes narrowed into thin, angry slits.

Leo removed the crystal again. "You might want to start talking."

The demon panted heavily, hands braced on bent knees. The monster repulsed Leo, who hated the sight of his long, sharp nails and thick, swarthy skin.

"If I tell you, I'm already dead. No thanks," the demon replied through his gasps, teeth still bared.

"Fine, then lets start with an easier one. What are you?"

The demon looked up, its cold, cruel eyes meeting Leo's. Surprisingly, he grinned. "What, you couldn't find me in your precious Book?" Leo's eyes flew to the corner of the room, where the ancient book sat open on its stand.

"You know you're not in there. How?" Paige asked aggressively, and the demon's gaze slid toward her.

"I've made an effort to avoid the Charmed Ones. Your family has never run into the likes of me before."

"Obviously that's not true," Phoebe bit out, her face scrunched up as if a nasty smell had drifted under her nose. Leo nodded fervently, thinking of the way this demon had attacked Piper for reasons they still didn't know.

The demon grinned wider. "Has the half-lighter brat told you about the future, then?"

Phoebe bit her bottom lip and didn't respond; Leo took her uncertainness as a cue to pick up the interrogation again. "Where are you keeping them?"

The demon tipped back its head and laughed, and the sound was like glass shattering. Leo resisted the urge to cover his ears. "The Witchlighter hasn't explained _anything_, has he?" The demon cackled gratingly again. "But how can you not know? Can't you _see_ it?"

Leo shoved the crystal back into the circle and watched the demon fry. He had long since lost all of his patience, and he was on the edge of desperation now that Piper had disappeared along with Chris. "Tell us where they are, dammit!"

He pulled the stone back into alignment and waited for the demon to regain its voice.

* * *

Piper flicked her wrists at the tiny crystal peaking out from behind the solid line of rock. The electric shield sputtered into being and deflected her power, sending it reverberating around the room. She ducked, looking back at Chris to make sure he did the same. Behind them, a loose boulder shattered into several smaller pieces.

"I have an idea. How about we don't do that again?"

Piper shot Chris a look. "I liked you better when you were broody and silent."

Chris quirked his lips. Not quite a smile, but a definite sign of amusement. "Yeah, well. I liked you better when you weren't here."

There was seriousness in his statement despite the acerbic tone, and Piper felt her annoyance drain out of her. Bickering or not, they were still thoroughly trapped. "So blowing up the crystals is a no-go. And there are no other exits. It seems the only way to get out of this place is to shimmer or be a demon."

"How long did it take you to figure that out?"

"Shut it, smartass," Piper retorted. She leaned against the stone wall, hands behind her back. "Don't you have any evil friends who could get us out of here?" she asked, thinking of all the undercover work Chris had done in the Underworld.

When he recoiled from her, expression frozen on his face, she realized what a careless question that had been.

"Not anymore," he replied, turning away from her and settling into a heavy silence. Piper scowled. Whatever she'd said before, she really didn't like it when he retreated into himself like that.

"Sorry, Chris, I just meant—"

He looked at her over his shoulder, expression startlingly calm and even. She frowned; he was way too good at hiding everything. "I know what you meant. But I don't have any way of contacting my demonic connections, and even if I did, they wouldn't help a Charmed One."

"Yeah," She said, absently tapping at the stone with her fingers. "I guess that makes sense."

Chris didn't answer, and she glanced at him. He was frowning thoughtfully, gaze darting from one side of the cave to the other. Then he walked slowly over to the pile of rubble that had once been a boulder. Piper winced at how stiffly he moved, as if he was putting all of his effort into holding himself upright. He stopped at the heap of stones and stooped to reach for one. Then he halted abruptly, hands involuntarily clutching at his stomach . He stayed like that for a moment and then straightened, face set into a scowl.

"Piper, come here," he said, in a flat, no-nonsense tone, and she walked to his side.

"Are you—?"

"Pick up one of these," Chris interrupted, pointing at the rocks. "And see if it'll pass through the barrier."

She stared at him for a moment, bemused, and then comprehension dawned. She quickly wrapped her fingers around a large chunk of stone and hefted it upwards. She walked closer to the edge of the barrier, Chris shuffling along behind her, and stopped, raising the rock and experimentally tossing it through the opening.

It sailed straight through and continued off into the long expanse of darkness. A moment later they heard the rough, scratchy sound of rock slamming against rock.

"Good, now grab a few more and angle them at one of the crystals," Chris said, words coming quickly now that he had a plan in mind. Piper nodded and gathered additional rocks, setting them in a pile at the edge of the force field. She threw one; it landed wide to the left. Chris snickered, and Piper shot him a glare. She tried again, and this time her aim was true; the rock bumped against the crystal and ricocheted in the other direction.

Both Piper and Chris buckled as an electric shock sizzled through the entire cave, harshly stinging them both.

"Okay," Piper said when the shockwave had dissipated and she'd regained her breath. "So that didn't work."

"You think?"

She shook off his brusque tone. "It was a good idea, though. Nice try."

"Thanks," he said dryly. "Now if I could come up with a plan that actually _worked_."

Piper sighed, the slight excitement she'd felt while tossing the rocks draining from her. She settled against the wall again, leaning her head against its cool, hard surface. "I don't know what else to do," she said bluntly, almost conversationally.

He mirrored her sigh, although his sounded more weary than hers. "Me neither," he admitted quietly.

"And if he comes back…" Piper left the sentence in the air, looking for Chris to fill it in.

"He'll try to hurt you," Chris replied, tensing immediately, and Piper was as moved by it as she was surprised. Chris had never really shown a particular fondness for her. Actually, she distinctly remembered him holding her responsible for the fact that he'd never known his family. But apparently he felt differently now, and protective, which confused her.

"So the other demon, the one that attacked me earlier, he works with… Jack?" Piper asked.

Chris nodded. "Apparently. Calls himself Crusk." Chris stayed silent for another second and then looked at her sharply, as if he had just realized something. "Before, did you say Crusk attacked Leo?"

Piper faltered, a little confused by this turn in the conversation. "Yeah, I'm assuming that's who went after him," she gritted her teeth together and asked the question she'd been pondering for the last hour. "You don't think he hurt Leo, do you?"

"No, Leo's fine," Chris replied dismissively, and his quick, sure response startled Piper.

"How do you know?" She asked, frowning at him.

His lips tightened, but his voice was relatively normal when he said, "Crusk wouldn't have had any Darklighter arrows on him, and I'm pretty sure that's the only thing that can hurt Leo."

Piper stayed silent, conceding to his explanation. "He wouldn't have just left, though. Not without making sure that I—we were okay." She hoped he hadn't caught the quickly-amended statement.

Chris raised his eyebrows. "He wouldn't have left without _you_—don't be afraid to say it. I don't expect loyalty from Leo." Piper opened her mouth to contradict that—Leo had been truly worried—but Chris continued without waiting for a reply. "I actually didn't expect loyalty from any of you. I know you guys hate the way I keep things from you."

"We do, but we wouldn't have just left you, Chris," Piper replied, feeling a little angry. "You had to know that, didn't you?"

He grimaced at her, but his expression was a little lighter than before. "Well, maybe I did. But I'd _hoped_ you wouldn't get yourselves into an even worse position trying to rescue me."

She snorted. "You should be grateful."

His lips quirked again. "Can I at least hold off on that until you actually get me out of here?"

"I guess," Piper agreed, mock grudgingly. It was easier with Chris when he was like this. He actually wasn't even that bad—quick and clever and sarcastic.

The moment was calm and silent, almost peaceful, and it was in that second that Piper knew something would go wrong. It just wasn't natural to find peace in the Underworld, while they were being held captive by a demon intent on torturing both of them.

So it didn't surprise her when an enraged yell scrabbled through the air, filling every crack and crevice with its deafening noise. The appearance of the demon followed the sound, only the thing standing in the center of the cave didn't look like the same being. Instead of seeming almost human, this demon was huge, skulking and undoubtedly evil.

Chris went rigid with alarm and skidded to Piper's side, hands grappling to yank her out of the line of fire. She shot him a look but complied, wanting to get out of the hideous beast's way.

"_You_!" The demon stalked closer, eyes glittering in the scant light. Piper cringed instinctively, and Chris's hand tightened around her arm. "You said Crusk attacked the Elder; did you see what happened next?"

Piper frowned, momentarily puzzled. Then she tilted her head, showing an arrogance she didn't feel. "No, but I know Leo. Your partner is dead."

The demon bared his teeth and reached out his hands, palms facing her. Chris jerked her backwards, but the effort was wasted. The demon lowered his hands after a moment and began to pace. It seemed odd, something so hideous doing something so normal.

"If he managed to grab him… but I don't know if he would have thought of it…" The demon grumbled to itself, his gravelly voice sounding menacing even when it wasn't focused on her.

Then the demon whirled toward her again, and this time Chris wasn't quick enough. The agony shot through her, slowly at first but quickly gaining in speed and power. She fell to her knees, barely noticing the way Chris gripped her shoulders. Her eyes squeezed shut tightly; a scream ripped itself from her throat.

And then it was over. She went limp, panting, eyes still closed as the dizziness and nausea swept through her.

"Get up, Witch," The demon growled coldly. "We're relocating."

"What? What the hell are you talking about! I'm going to _kill_ you, you son of a bitch!" Piper vaguely registered Chris's voice. It was angry and trembling.

With effort, she stood, her strength gradually returning to her.

"Good girl," The demon said, in what could have been an approving voice had the malice not been so thick. "Better do the same, Witchlighter. The only thing stopping me from torturing her indefinitely is my sudden lack of time."

"What's going—?" Piper began, voice crackly and low, but Chris interrupted her.

"Why would you be—unless Leo took—" he broke off, shock dousing his last few syllables. After a moment he continued, voice quiet, "They can find us now."

The demon let out a roar. "Crusk won't tell them."

"You really think so? You know the two of you aren't really partners. He uses you for power, and you use him so that you don't have to get your hands dirty," Chris shot back, force behind his words. "He has no loyalty to you."

This time the demon stalked forward. Chris shifted in front of Piper again, and the demon tilted his head, as if to acknowledge the action. "If you want her to live, you'll move now."

"We've already discussed this," Chris said through tightly clenched teeth. "You can't kill her. She's still—" Chris snapped his mouth closed and glanced at Piper, who frowned back at him. Then he finished, "She's still a Charmed One. Her sisters will hunt you down if you hurt her."

To Piper's surprise, the demon tilted his head back and let out a raucous laugh. "You might as well tell her, boy," he said, sounding more like the refined, polished person he usually tried to be. "Neither of you will make it out of here alive."

Piper glanced at Chris, mystified. "What?" she asked. When she received no answer, she crossed her arms impatiently. "Tell me _what_?"

Chris still didn't answer, and the demon grinned.

"Well, if you won't, then I certainly will. What you don't know, Witch, is that Christopher is actually—"

And then the cave exploded into action, drowning out the demon's words and making Piper dizzy. She blinked fuzzy eyes and glanced around, realizing that figures had appeared in front of her, outlined in bluish light. Figures she knew.

"Leo, Phoebe!" Piper shouted, jumping forward. Chris yanked her back, and she turned to him impatiently. "What the hell, Chris? Let go!"

She was distracted by a strange feeling spreading through her body; a slight thrum, like electricity shifting through the air. But this time there was no pain involved, and abruptly the pressure dissipated. Then she caught sight of Paige, darting through the cave opening, hair bouncing around her face and potion bottles clutched between her fingers.

There was also another demon, Piper realized as she struggled to take in the suddenly chaotic scene. Leo was wrestling with him now, and he must have been the one that nearly killed her—the one they called Crusk. Piper started forward again, dragging Chris along with her, but suddenly Paige appeared at her side.

"Come on!" Paige said, reaching for Piper.

"No!" the demon's shout was rough and furious, and suddenly he was beside her as well, yanking her out of Paige's reach. Piper finally pulled out of her haze, twisting around and flicking her hands at the demon. He exploded into a thousand tiny particles.

She knew it wouldn't give her long, but she had just enough time to scamper to Leo's side. Phoebe had joined the fight there too, and Chris was hauling along after Piper, so all of them converged into a messy pile in the center.

Piper raised her hands to blow up Crusk, but the demon understood her intention and quickly shimmered out of sight. And then he was back again, standing at the edge of the cave. Phoebe started toward him and he conjured an athame, flinging it through the air. Piper aimed her hands again, this time to freeze the object, but Jack reformed behind her and gripped her wrists, twisting them harshly behind her back.

Piper saw Chris move out of the corner of her eye, and then suddenly he was pushing Phoebe out of the way. The flying dagger caught him at an angle as he fell to the side, and its sharp point grazed his shoulder. The weapon fell limply to the floor, and so did Chris. Piper could just hear his pained grunt over the din.

"Everyone stop!" the demon holding Piper shouted, and she struggled to free herself even as everyone else stuttered to a halt. Piper glanced at each of them, silently telling them to do _something_ and stop worrying about her. But then she saw the way Paige was casually shifting one of the potion bottles in her hands.

Paige flung the potion at the demon, and it shattered at his feet. Some of it splashed on Piper, but she only felt a slight itch. She could tell the potion was weak, too, because the demon didn't burst into flames behind her. He did, however, howl and leap backward, distraction loosening his grip enough for Piper to yank herself free. She turned and blew him up for the third time, and she thought there was a hint of exasperation in his scream. Then he was gone again.

Paige and Phoebe hurried over to her while Leo went to Chris' side, and together the sisters faced Crusk. His dark eyes were wide, his cloak torn and dirty from the fight. He obviously realized what he was facing in that moment, with the three of them standing together. Phoebe's hands flew to her pocket, but she wasn't fast enough. Crusk shimmered away.

"Guys, move!" Leo called, now lifting a lifeless Chris into a fireman's carry. "Get outside the perimeter!"

The reached for each other's hands, habit in situations like these, and then ran toward the rough opening a few feet away. Hunching slightly, they made it through at a sprint. Piper released Paige as soon as they were out of the cave and waved on her and Phoebe; after a moment the two disappeared in a flutter of lights. Then Piper strode to Leo's side.

"Is Chris okay?" Piper asked tersely, inwardly making sure that _Leo_ was okay.

"I think so," he replied, tone equally short. Then he grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."

And then Piper experienced the strange, tingling sensation of traveling by orbs.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Leo quickly reformed them in the attic, adept enough at orbing to maneuver Chris's particles onto the old, ratty couch in the corner of the room. The three of them solidified, and Chris groaned and curled inward at the sudden change under his back. Phoebe and Paige were already there. They both shot uneasy looks at Chris, and Phoebe nodded her head toward the attic door.

Leo gestured in return, understanding her signal. The two left, talking back and forth about the battle that had just occurred. Leo knew they were allowing Chris some privacy, and Leo some quiet so that he could heal.

Leo kneeled down next to Chris and hurriedly placed his hands over the knife wound in Chris's shoulder. It took a moment for his healing powers to kick in, but eventually the golden glow engulfed Chris and his skin resealed itself flawlessly. Chris didn't stir, but his body stilled and he sank deeper into the sofa.

"His arms," Piper said quietly, pointing to the long series of slashes on Chris's forearms and chest. "And he looked like he was having trouble with his stomach."

Leo swallowed hard and peeled back the tattered layers of Chris's shirt. He first healed the most obvious injuries, and then turned a critical eye on the vivid bruising that covered Chris's torso. Leo could heal it blind, but the process always went a little quicker if he knew _what_ he was repairing.

He started with the purplish skin of Chris' abdomen. From Leo's medical eye, it looked like internal bleeding. He removed all trace of it a few seconds later. Then Leo moved up to Chris's ribs, healing the fractures and breaks, and Chris' breathing immediately eased up.

"There are more," Piper said, pointing again. Leo frowned and looked closer. There were indeed more cuts on Chris, two darting harshly across his chest and another few slashing through the skin of his right shoulder. There were remnants of burns, too, the skin slightly red and blistered in places.

"These are old," Leo said, surprise in his words. "They've already healed naturally; they're scars." He pointed out the strange, circular burns. "See these? They look like they were made by energy balls."

He spared a glance at Piper, pulling out of his clinical trance when he saw the frown on her face. "So this must have happened in the future. Who's been shooting energy balls at him?"

Leo shook his head. "I don't know. There are quite a few demons who could have done this to him."

Piper's frown was replaced with an agonized, vulnerable look that made Leo want to hold and comfort her. He refrained, knowing it wasn't his place anymore. "Or Wyatt. Wyatt could have done it."

"Piper…"

"No, Leo, face it! Our son grows up to be a monster!"

Leo opened his mouth to contradict her claim, even though he really feared the same thing. He stopped abruptly when Chris' arm shot out and grabbed his wrist. Chris writhed, probably still caught in the dregs of his horrific experience with the demon, and Leo quickly laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not…" Chris mumbled, jerking back from Leo. Leo tried to pull his other hand out of Chris's fingers, but Chris tightened his grip.

"Chris?" Piper asked, kneeling beside Leo, her own hands reaching for the disturbed Witchlighter. "Chris, wake up. You're fine now. We got you out of there."

All at once, Chris's eyes snapped open and his hand released Leo's wrist. He looked at Leo, and Leo was surprised by the sharpness of his gaze. "What's going on?" Chris asked, speech slightly slurred.

"We rescued you," Piper said, smiling hesitantly. "Didn't I tell you we would?"

Chris frowned, looking bewildered. It took him a moment to comprehend her words, and then he relaxed marginally. "Everyone's okay?"

"Yeah," Piper assured, and Leo figured it was best to let her do the talking. Leo didn't think he'd be any comfort to Chris right now. "Paige and Phoebe are downstairs. Everyone's fine."

"Lucky…" Chris muttered, and Leo caught the half-frown on his face.

Piper sighed, sounding slightly exasperated. "You should have more faith. We know what we're doing."

"Still need to be careful," Chris replied, his speech slurring further as his eyes slipped closed. "Not invincible…" His voice tapered off, his head lolled to the side, and his breathing evened into a steady rhythm.

"Is he okay?" Piper asked.

"I think so," Leo said, eyeing Chris shrewdly. "He's just exhausted."

"Seemed like his guard was down a little, too," Piper replied, a calculating note in her tone. "Think I just got a warning from the future?"

"About being careful?" Leo questioned, biting his lip as he thought about it. "Maybe. Are you going to listen?"

"What, and take the fun out of life? No way," Piper replied, dry sarcasm nearly swallowing every word. Leo frowned at her, and she rolled her eyes impatiently. "We're always as careful as possible, Leo. You know that."

"Yeah," Leo replied, running a hand through his short-cropped hair. "I know you try."

They both turned back to Chris; Piper pulled out an old quilt from one of the shelves and spread it over the slumbering Witchlighter. It had been a close call not only for Chris, but for Piper too. And the way Leo, Phoebe and Paige had orbed in there, blind except for Crusk's hints, had been reckless as well.

"Unfortunately, you don't always succeed," he said, a little sadly. Then he turned away from Chris. "I think he'll be fine here for awhile. Come on, we need to talk about this."

* * *

Piper carefully set the large helping of scrambled eggs on the plate, following it with a heaping pile of bacon and half a dozen pieces of sausage. She placed the plate on a tray and poured a glass of orange juice, which she set next to the steaming pile of food.

Phoebe wandered into the kitchen, probably lured there by the delicious smells wafting from the stove. When she caught sight of Piper's platter, she rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter. "That's a little much, don't you think?"

Piper made a shushing sound and shot her sister a glare. "What? He's probably hungry. I doubt they fed him there."

Phoebe smiled. "Translation: you're starting to see a vulnerable side of Chris and it's sending your mothering instincts into overdrive."

Piper made an offended sound. "I'm not _mothering_ him, Phoebe. It's just that…" She hesitated, balancing the tray of food on the edge of the counter. "He's here trying to save Wyatt, he worked pretty damn hard to protect me while we were trapped by that demon, and he jumped in front of a knife for you. He's risked his life for our family over and over, and I just feel like we _owe_ him."

Phoebe's gaze was serious as she looked at the food on the plate. "Guess you're right." She stayed silent a moment, eyes on the leftover breakfast still sitting in the frying pan on the stove. Suddenly, she grinned widely. "But you still have to admit that you'll take care of anyone who sits still long enough."

Piper shot her an annoyed look and rolled her eyes. "I do not."

"Oh, really? Then why did you wash all my clothes while I was sleeping?" Phoebe asked, bouncing along after Piper as the latter carried the tray up the stairs. "And Paige says you invite her over for dinner at least four times a week, to make sure she's eating right, and I bet you even do _her_ laundry, if she lets you—"

"Alright, fine!" Piper exclaimed, halting on the top stair and turning to look at Phoebe again. "What can I say? Being a mom has changed me."

Phoebe nodded slowly, her playful, amused expression slowly drifting into a more serious one. "So has being the oldest sister."

Piper looked away, aware that they were both thinking of the exact same person. "Yeah, well. I do what I can. Take care of Wyatt, watch out for my sisters, kick demon butt…."

Phoebe shook her head, a rueful smile twisting her lips. "Always something to do, isn't there?"

"You know it," Piper replied, a teasing grin replacing the poignant smile from before. "I'm going to get this to him before it gets cold."

Phoebe waved her off and then ran her fingers through her short brown hair. "Go ahead. I figured I'd stop by the office since I'm in town. I haven't talked to Elise face-to-face in awhile."

Piper nodded, beginning to walk again. "Have fun."

"Thanks. I'll be back in an hour or two."

Phoebe bounced down the stairs again, brisk and lively as always. Piper maneuvered the tray so that it leaned against the wall and pushed open the attic door.

"_No!_"

The shout was loud and unexpected, and Piper's heart jumped into her throat. She fumbled with the dish and it slipped past her fingers. She quickly flicked her wrists and froze it midair. Chris bellowed again, his voice reverberating around the room and ringing in her ears.

"Chris!" Piper called, leaving the airborne food and striding over to the couch. Chris was bucking and twisting frantically, close to tumbling off the narrow cushions. He alternated between screaming and muttering incomprehensibly.

"Chris," she said again, kneeling down next to him and wrapping her hands around his wrists. "Chris, wake up! You're dreaming."

He yanked away from her grip but didn't open his eyes, and she knew he was still caught in whatever hellish world his mind was creating.

"No!" Chris slurred as he writhed. "_No_! _Please_…Wyatt…."

Piper pulled back abruptly, blood pounding in her ears. She felt a sudden urge to get _away_—away from anything and anyone that reminded her of what Wyatt would become if they didn't stop it. But Chris didn't deserve that kind of abandonment. It wasn't _his_ fault Wyatt became what he did.

"Chris!" Piper shouted, reaching out to touch him again. She wavered for a second and then shook his shoulders, hard. "Chris, _wake up_!"

He breathed in sharply, but his eyes shuddered open. He froze for a fraction of a second, gaze hazy and out of focus. He was obviously still trapped in his dream.

"Come on, Chris," Piper said, soothingly now, loosening her grip on his shoulders. "You're fine, okay? We're not going to let anything hurt you."

He blinked confusedly, vivid green eyes blurred by sleep and tears. "Mom?"

Piper pulled back a little, surprised. "No, it's Piper. You're in the past, remember?"

He closed his eyes, and stayed that way so long that Piper thought he'd gone back to sleep. She hovered, unsure of whether to wake him or let him sleep. But then his eyelids fluttered again, and she was relieved to see that his eyes were bright and clear this time.

"Welcome back," she said dryly.

He stared at her for another moment and then jolted, eyes flying around the room as if he expected to see something horrible lurking in the corner. "What about the—"

"Relax, Chris. Everything's okay for now," She said soothingly, surprised at how easily comforting him came to her. "We've put crystals all around the house _and_ the attic; he shouldn't be able to get you here again."

Chris sunk back down, but his shoulders stayed tense. "So are you three staying in the house until we figure this out?"

Piper shook her head. "I'll be here most of the day, but Phoebe went to the office and Paige swung by Richard's. They have lives, remember?"

"But the demon—!"

"Was after you, not us," Piper filled in for him, her voice harder this time. "And they'll be careful. We've been facing this kind of thing for a long time now. Just relax, alright?"

He looked unwilling, but after a moment he nodded grudgingly and shifted into a sitting position. Piper smiled and stood, walking back to the still-stationary breakfast plate. Carefully, she placed her hands around it so that nothing would spill out and then unfroze it. The tray settled neatly into her palms, and she smiled.

"What are you doing?"

"Serving you breakfast," Piper replied, treading over to him again. He looked bewildered. "What, you're not hungry?"

"No, I am," he corrected her, but he still looked slightly dazed. "I just… haven't had a home-cooked meal in a long time."

She frowned. "You should have told me. I would have made something for you."

He raised a brow as he reached for the tray; she hesitated for a second and then set it in his hands. His arms trembled a little, but his jaw set determinedly and Piper figured it was a bad idea to say anything. The plate of food made it safely to his lap.

"I didn't want…" he stopped and shook his head. "Hunger keeps me focused."

Her lips twisted, and she put her hands on her hips. "That's not what you were going to say. Why do you always do that? You start to tell us something and then you stop, or you switch the subject."

His face shut down immediately, and his hands halted in the act of stabbing at a piece of egg. "I don't know what you're talking about. And do you mind not doing this right now?"

She sighed, realizing that he was right. It wasn't fair of her to question him so soon after his ordeal with the demons. "Fine, sorry."

He stayed still a moment longer, fork poised just over his food. Then the moment broke and he continued to eat. "It's okay."

She nodded and smiled as brightly as she could manage. "So, are you feeling better?"

He laughed a little over his mouthful of eggs. After he swallowed, he replied, "Yeah, I am. Thank Leo for me, would you?"

"Can't you thank him yourself?" Piper replied, rolling her eyes. "He was just as worried about you as we were, Chris. You could cut him a little slack." Chris stayed silent, now shoveling the strips of bacon into his mouth. "And speaking of Leo, he told me to ask you if you wanted those old scars healed."

Chris's fork clattered loudly onto the glass plate, and his fingers immediately jumped to the neckline of his shirt. He yanked it down to reveal the jagged scars along his shoulder. The sight of them caused Piper's stomach to turn, but Chris almost looked …_relieved _to find them intact.

"Chris?" Piper asked, unable to form her question any other way.

He released the fabric and let it settle back into place. Then he slowly resumed eating. "I don't want them gone."

Piper was bewildered now. "Why not?"

He didn't say anything, his eyes leveled squarely on the plate in front of him. But he'd stopped moving again. "They're sort of like… reminders," he said slowly, his jaw clenched as if he didn't like saying the words.

"Reminders? Of what?" She shook her head, still utterly confused. The way those scars looked, they couldn't remind him of anything good. "_Why_?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

The exasperation was back again, and it began to override her perplexity. "Don't you _ever_ get tired of keeping secrets?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Will you _ever_ get tired of trying to figure them out?" Chris replied, sounding more resigned than angry.

"I don't know," She answered honestly, her tone a little sharp. She wanted to forgive him and move on, but he had lied too much. It was a knee-jerk reaction to accuse him every time he denied them an answer, and it frustrated her that he never opened up about anything. Building trust required a little give-and-take, and Chris never gave anything. They'd forced information out of him, and he'd revealed things purely by accident, but he'd never honestly told them anything.

He pulled the tray off of his lap and set in on the empty cushion beside him. Then he stood up, slower than usual but with more energy than Piper had seen from him since they'd gotten back. He stepped away, and she quickly reached out to stop him.

"Chris don't—"

"I'm not," he interrupted, voice curt. And then he began to pace, taking four or five steps before turning back around again. "I just don't like this story much."

She stayed silent for a second, not understanding him. Then she breathed, "You're going to tell me?"

He looked at her sharply, coming to an abrupt halt. "Yes. Because I need you to stop constantly questioning me about everything. I need you to trust me. So I'll tell you, and then maybe you'll get that I'm not keeping things from you because I want to."

"Then why are you?" She asked, captivated now. "Besides all the usual excuses?"

"Because you really, _really_ don't want to know. I _know_ you don't want to know, but you keep asking…" he sighed and shook his head. "And because I don't like reliving that part of my life."

She felt guilty then, knowing what it was like to avoid talking about something simply because she didn't want to have to think about it. But she wasn't going to stop him now, not when he was finally going to give her a solid answer to her question. Or at least, she hoped so.

"I told you I knew Wyatt," Chris started, and Piper nodded, absently perching on the edge of the couch. "I wasn't lying. I knew him; we met at Magic School. I wasn't one of his friends, really, but I saw him everyday—enough to know what he was like."

"And what was he like?" Piper asked, even though part of her didn't want to hear it. Had he shown signs, even then? Had her future self just been too blind to see it?

"Kind," Chris said, smiling a little now. She noticed that even when his smile was real and heartfelt, there was always a glimpse of sadness behind it. "He really was. He didn't act at all like he was the strongest magical being ever to walk the halls—which he was. He didn't bully; he was nice to just about everyone. Everybody liked him."

"So what happened?" Piper prodded, mostly because Chris had stopped talking and didn't look as if he was going to start again any time soon.

"He changed. Or, something changed him," Chris replied, the words seeming to come harder now, the smile vanishing from his face. "He became cold, ruthless, completely obsessed with power. When I found out, I didn't believe it at first. I think that's part of the reason Wyatt got so far before anyone tried to stop him. No one thought it was possible. But obviously it was, and a few years later he'd taken out both the good and evil hierarchies and made himself dictator of _everything_.

"We were scrambling at first, the few good beings left after Wyatt's rise to power," Chris continued, his eyes shadowed and his face drawn. "We didn't have any organization, and more of us were dying everyday; it was a nightmare. I headed up a Resistance of sorts, but it wasn't strong enough to take on Wyatt and his demon army. We fought, foolishly, and he…captured me. Almost everyone else was slaughtered."

It took Piper a long time to find her voice. After swallowing hard and blinking her eyes to rid them of horrified tears, she asked, "Why'd he let you…?" she drifted off, unable to state her entire question.

"Live? I don't know," Chris said, but his voice was flatter, harsher. Piper noticed the change and wondered if it meant Chris was lying again. Or maybe it was just a reaction to the painfulness of the subject. "It was clear he wanted me on his side, maybe because I was the same as him—part witch, part Whitelighter. There aren't too many of us around, even in the future. And none as strong as him."

"Your parents must have been rebellious. I haven't even heard of anyone else doing that kind of thing since Leo and me." She tilted her head, suddenly curious about Chris's life before all of this. What had his parents been like? Had his childhood been a good one, despite everything that had happened later in his life?

He avoided her gaze, face shuttering again, and Piper knew she had hit a particularly tender nerve. "There were a few more in my time. Everyone was more rebellious, I guess." He shook his head, firmly closing the topic. "Anyway, he imprisoned me, spent hours trying to persuade me into joining him. After that failed, he started to use more… painful tactics. The energy balls were first."

Piper inhaled sharply, shaking her head to fend off the images that flooded her mind. Her _son_ had done this. Her son had tortured, massacred, and taken over the entire world.

Chris's gaze swung toward her, and he looked abruptly apologetic. "I won't tell you anymore of it. You won't want to hear it, and I don't really want to tell you. But that's where I got the scars."

"How'd you get away?" Piper asked, voice hoarse and barely more than a whisper.

He ran a hand through his hair, and it fluttered into his eyes. His lips were pursed, his jaw clenched; he seemed to be warring with himself.

"Bianca," he said finally, eyes closing. They were hard when he opened them again, but a tiny hint of his agony filtered through the mask.

"What'd she do?" Piper asked, slightly startled.

"She was on _his_ side," Chris spat, pacing angrily again, arms swinging fitfully at his sides. "Not that she had much of a choice; none of them did. She was his assassin. I'm not sure how many people… I never asked…" he broke off and shook his head. "She was… disillusioned, by the time Wyatt captured me. He was using her, and she knew it. Phoenix usually only look out for themselves and their family, so she didn't react well to that. At first it was just an act of mutiny, getting me away from him. But later…" He stopped and swallowed again, adam's apple bobbing.

"You fell in love?" Piper questioned, already knowing the answer thanks to Phoebe's empathy power. Chris looked startled, but nodded.

"We found the few members of the Resistance who were still alive, figured out a way to send me back here, and… that's it."

The ending was abrupt, but Piper didn't blame him for the hasty wrap-up. She breathed deeply, letting her eyes slide closed as she contemplated her newfound knowledge. Then she opened them again, a thought occurring to her. "You didn't answer my question, though."

His eyes immediately narrowed. "Isn't that enough for you?"

"That's not what I meant," she said gently, raising her hands in a pacifying gesture. "You just didn't tell me what they reminded you of. The scars."

His eyes widened in comprehension. "Oh." He absently traced one of the marks through his shirt, fingers trailing along his shoulder. "I told you I didn't believe that Wyatt could go so bad. I thought maybe he could be saved there, in the future." His hands stilled and rounded into taut fists. "I had most of the wounds healed by one of the few Whitelighters still around, but I kept these scars to remind me that it wasn't possible. That Wyatt was already too far gone."

Piper absorbed that. It seemed almost foolish, to keep old wounds for the sole purpose of convincing himself that Wyatt was evil. But maybe it wasn't that idiotic, when she thought about it. She doubted she would be able to believe that Wyatt was past saving, no matter what evidence she was given.

"So you came back to a time where he _wasn't_ too far gone," Piper said, marveling at his choice. Would she have had the strength to leave her world—the only one she'd ever known, even if it was horrible—and throw herself back in the time?

The answer was yes. She would have, but only if she'd known her family was safe. Chris hadn't had much of a family to worry about by then, but apparently he'd had Bianca. How had he been able to leave her?

"Yeah," Chris whispered, sounding stripped and open for the first time possibly ever. "Only nothing I've tried has changed anything. It was the same, when she took me back. _He_ was the same."

"You mean you saw Wyatt?" Piper gasped, hands reaching up to cover her mouth.

He looked at her piercingly, and suddenly all trace of the vulnerable, saddened Chris was gone. He tore his gaze from her face and focused on a spot on the wall opposite to him. "Yes. He killed her."

Piper's heart convulsed, beating erratically in her ribcage. She didn't think she could stand to hear one more appalling thing Wyatt had done.

"I told you…" he said, almost under his breath. "I told you that you didn't want to know."

"I did. I _do_," Piper denied, but it was a lie and they both knew it. "It's just… hard, to know that someone I love so much could do something so awful."

Chris released a short, unexpected laugh. "Believe me, I get that."

Piper frowned. "Because of Bianca?"

He looked at her, expression distinctly surprised. Then his features evened out and he nodded slowly. "Yeah."

She wanted to sigh, but managed to refrain. Was it always his immediate instinct to lie? She could tell when he wasn't being honest; he couldn't quite hide his emotions the way he wanted to. But he'd been more truthful today than he ever had before, and it was clear the effort had cost him a lot.

"Thank you," She said quietly, laying a hand on his arm. She felt the muscles tense under her palm and quickly removed her fingers, realizing that her touch wasn't a comfort to him.

"Just… trust me from now on, okay?" he asked, sounding slightly agitated again.

"It'll be hard, because I know there are still things you're keeping from us." he scowled, and she held up a hand, nodding slowly. "But okay. I'll try."

"Thanks. And tell them, if you don't mind," Chris said, nodding his head in the general direction of the attic door. "I don't want to have to explain it again."

"I can do that," Piper promised easily.

There was a short moment of silence, and it wasn't as uncomfortable as Piper would have expected. Chris was looking at her, his face wiped clean of expression and his eyes considerate. She shifted slightly; he blinked and focused his gaze elsewhere.

"I know you want me to stay here," Chris began, taking a few steps away. "But I think I'm going to stop by P3 and grab some of my stuff. I'll be back in a minute."

"No, Chris, don't—" She started, immediately reaching out a hand to stall his departure. But he was gone, drifting away in a haze of blue orbs.

Then the cloud unexpectedly condensed again, the orbs moving in a jerky, unnatural way. A second later Chris reformed, but instead of landing of his feet, he stumbled uneasily to the floor.

"Chris!" Piper cried, hurrying over to him. She held out her hand and he ignored it, taking a deep breath and then pulling himself to his feet. She frowned and asked, "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he said, grimacing. "Well, it wasn't fun, but I think I'm okay. My powers must still be off after…"

"Right," Piper said when he didn't continue. She understood. "Well, you shouldn't leave here at all, anyway. Not even for a second."

His jaw tightened. "But everything I need is at P3. I wanted to cross-reference the demon's characteristics to see if I can connect him with anything in—"

"No," Piper said firmly, face set. She gripped his arm and guided him toward the attic door. "You're not working until you're feeling better. And that won't be until your powers work again. So go… sit on the couch and watch TV or something, like a normal kid."

Chris shrugged out of her grip impatiently. "I'm _not_ a kid. And I don't need you to take care of me, Piper."

The last phrase came out strangely, sounding slightly strangled despite his anger, and she tilted her head thoughtfully. Then she shrugged and reaffirmed her grip on him. "Well, I am, so deal with it."

He sighed in exasperation, but allowed himself to be manhandled down the stairs. Piper wondered if he was more fatigued than he appeared; he didn't often give in to her demands like this. "Would you rather sleep?"

He shook his head impatiently. "You're such a mother-hen," he complained, pulling himself out of her hold again and ambling over to the couch. "And I'm not staying like this for long, just so you know."

"Drop the show, Chris, you're exhausted," Piper said shrewdly. "Otherwise you wouldn't be listening to me in the first place. So just relax a little—if you can remember how to do that."

He muttered under his breath, and Piper caught words like "Wyatt" and "war" and "see how you like it" in his whispered sentences. She chuckled darkly to herself. Then, after watching him for a few seconds to make sure he wasn't going to sneak away, she headed off to clean the kitchen.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: As always, thanks so much for the reviews!_

**Chapter 10**

Chris read the page over again, eyes skimming the paragraphs he already knew by heart. He flicked his fingers casually and the delicate paper turned, revealing another demon, another spell, another potion. But he knew just from the graphic illustration that it wasn't the _right_ demon, spell, or vanquishing potion. He waved his fingers again.

A slight knocked jostled him out of his concentration, and he started in surprise. Leo stood in the archway of the attic, knuckles rapping gently against the worn, grainy wood.

"Hey," Leo said, entering the room now that he had Chris's attention. Chris found the courtesy strange, since Leo had never really offered it before.

"Hey," Chris replied noncommittally, casting his eyes back towards the ancient book in front of him. He turned the page again.

"I think you're supposed to be resting. Piper said that's what you were doing today."

Chris grunted. "Well, she left—despite me telling her that they should all stay here until we've found the demon. And besides, I'm feeling better now, see?" he used his telekinesis on the Book again.

"Yeah, but can you orb?" Leo asked shrewdly, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Chris didn't reply, and Leo sighed. "You need to take a break, Chris, relax a little. You've been through a lot."

Chris shook his head impatiently. "I'll relax when I'm in a future where Wyatt hasn't taken over the world."

"Driving yourself to exhaustion won't help anyone, least of all Wyatt." Leo said, sounding firm now. "You're just a kid. You don't have to carry this burden all on your own. You can't."

Chris used his hands to slam the book closed, and it rocked unsteadily on its perch. That was the second time someone had called him a kid today, and it was seriously starting to annoy him.

"Look, no offense, Leo," he began, struggling to keep the anger out of his tone. "But I haven't been a kid since I was fourteen years old. I'm _used_ to this, alright? And I'm the only one who can do this, so I don't have time for—"

"No, you're _not_," Leo retorted shortly. "You're just making it that way."

"Oh, here we go!" Chris replied, and he couldn't keep his irritation in check this time. "Everything's always _my_ fault, isn't it? Next you're going to be telling me how much I've let you down."

Chris shot Leo a glare and noticed that the other man was staring at him in surprise. Chris flushed when he realized that his speech had been addressed more to his neglectful father than to the young Elder in front of him.

"I'm…" He choked on the word "sorry," unable to make his lips form the simple phrase. Instead he just shook his head. "I'm just trying to do the right thing here, okay?"

"I don't think you're like this, not really," Leo said reasonably, as if he was trying to make up for the abrupt turn in the conversation. "I think all the pressure you put yourself under is really hurting you. _Changing_ you."

Chris closed his eyes, clenching his jaw to rein in the fury that flooded him at Leo's assessment. When he spoke again, his voice was calm and cold as ice. "You don't know me."

"I'd like to."

"Too little, too late!" Chris whispered harshly, hands rounding into fists. He could feel the toxic anger swirling around inside of him, and it was so hard not to blame Leo for the way he would act in just a few years' time.

After all, Leo hadn't really changed, had he? Chris doubted that his trip to the past had shifted Leo's personality, which meant that Leo was still capable of being that kind of father, that kind of _person_. No matter how protective he was of Wyatt, no matter how much he seemed to love Piper, he was still the same man who had neglected and ignored Chris all of his life.

"Do you really hate me that much, Chris? I realize it hasn't been easy for you, but you have to know it hasn't been easy for us, either. I've been watching over the girls since they became witches, and Wyatt is my _son_. You gave us too many reasons to doubt you, and never enough to trust you. I was trying to protect my family."

"So go on not trusting me," Chris replied, struggling to keep his voice indifferent in the wake of Leo's impassioned speech. "I don't really care. Just stop with the male-bonding crap. I'm not buying it."

"Is this just about the way I acted when you first came to the past? Or is there something more?"

Again there was suspicion, a slight inkling of the truth. Chris froze for a second, realizing that Leo hadn't completely given up on his earlier theory. Then Chris forced himself to relax, fingers loosening as he dug them into his pockets.

"What more would there be?" he asked, keeping his question as haughty and condescending as possible.

Leo looked uncomfortable now that he had to spell it out. "Well… that day, when Piper was attacked and I asked you… when we were standing in the—"

"Oh, please!" Chris interrupted scathingly. "You're not still on that kick, are you? How can you still be wondering if I'm your son?"

Leo shifted under Chris's gaze, and then the lines around his eyes tightened. "Give me another conclusion, then."

"You want to know why I don't _like_ you?" Chris asked, honestly incredulous. "Okay, here's a reason: You followed me around while I was trying to find a potion to help the girls with Phoebe's empathy powers. Another: You threatened to leave me in the Jurassic Age when we found that time-portal—and that was _after_ you'd shoved both of us in there in the first place. And oh, right, you _tossed me into the grandfather clock _after you got back from Valhalla because you had some vague suspicion that it was my fault. You need more? 'Cause I've got them."

Anger flitted across Leo's face, tightening his jaw and hardening his eyes. Then he took a deep breath, and his tense expression faded somewhat. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you _wanted_ me to hate you."

Chris opened his mouth and closed it again, taken aback at Leo's succinct and dangerously accurate summary. Then he shook his head, pulled himself together, and said, "I already told you, I don't care. Just don't expect us to suddenly be friends. You've had a change of heart before. I haven't forgotten that you changed it back."

Leo didn't reply, and Chris turned his attention back to the book. He was riled by Leo's presence, but he wasn't going to indulge any further in his anger. He raised his hand again and opened the cover of the Book.

"I meant what I said, Chris," Leo spoke after a few minutes of silence. "You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"Is that why you're here?" Chris asked indifferently, eyes still focused on the book. "To baby-sit me?"

"Officially I'm here to baby-sit Wyatt. Unofficially… Piper mentioned that she wanted me to watch out for you." Leo admitted, grimacing a little.

Chris shrugged that off. "When will they be back?"

Leo's look turned thoughtful. "Later tonight, why?"

"I need to talk to them. _All_ of them," Chris said, voice steely with determination. "We have the figure out what the hell's going on. It could be the key to saving Wyatt."

* * *

"I'm surprised you've come back."

Crusk grunted. "Didn't have much of a choice."

"Yes, true," Jack replied, a smile curling at his lips now. "Do you have anything you'd like to say for yourself?"

"Yeah," Crusk said, viciousness causing the volume of his voice to increase. "I want to tell you that I'm done with this. All of it."

"Done?" Jack asked, voice mockingly polite. "What do you mean?"

Crusk growled. He'd always hated the eloquent, human act Jack pulled. It was a façade, and a well-developed one; Crusk wondered if anyone actually knew who this demon was. The Elder probably did, but most likely no one else. "You said we wouldn't attack for years. You said we'd stay off The Charmed Ones' radar until we were strong enough to bring them down."

"And that was the original plan, Crusk, I assure you," Jack said, firmly now, his features shifting infinitesimally. He wasn't truly angry yet. "Unfortunately, the circumstances have changed. Our plan—which would have worked—has been put into jeopardy."

"By the brat from the future?" Crusk asked incredulously. "Can he really do that much? How can he be so dangerous? You could have killed him while he was trapped here!"

"Yes, he's that dangerous!" Jack bellowed, eyes turning pitch-black. "Don't you know his motivation, Crusk? Haven't you realized why he's here?"

"To stop Wyatt from taking over the world, but it's not like he—"

"No! He's here to save his _brother_. There's nothing more threatening than that!" Jack took a deep, measured breath, and his façade settled more solidly into place. "Don't underestimate an emotion like love; no one is immune. Even demons have succumbed to it. It will make him fight harder, _push_ harder, which means everything we've worked for is at risk."

"That doesn't change anything," Crusk replied firmly. "I'm not doing it. I won't."

Jack raised a mocking brow. "And you think you can protect yourself from the Charmed Ones?"

Crusk stayed silent for a minute, mouth gaping. Then he snarled, "I won't go against them again—they'll never have a reason to bother me."

"Ah, but they have reason enough _now_. You aided me in the kidnap and torture of their Whitelighter—their relative, if they ever find out the truth. And you will kill Piper Halliwell in fifteen years' time. Chris knows this."

Crusk took a step backward, staggered. Then he shouted, "You did this! If you hadn't told me to take him, they wouldn't be coming after me!"

Jack shrugged, completely unconcerned. "I did what I had to. The plan _must_ succeed."

"Why?" Crusk spat, fury and loathing coating the question. "Why does the Twice-Blessed matter?"

"_Because_, Crusk," Jack began impatiently, as if he expected Crusk to know this already. "He is the most powerful magical being on earth. We have nothing to match him, no evil creature potent enough to balance his power. If he stays pure and learns from the Charmed Ones, none of us will be able to stop him. Evil will crumble and goodness will rule. Permanently."

"But the Witchlighter said that we're all Wyatt's servants in the future. Doesn't sound great to me!" Crusk protested furiously, unwilling to see the logic in Jack's explanation.

"Are you so picky about your victims? We're alive and killing. And better yet, we do so openly and without fear of punishment. By forcing Wyatt onto our side, _goodness_ crumbles and _evil_ reigns."

Crusk stayed silent for a moment. Then he asked, voice gruff to hide his hesitance, "The Elder wants to kill the Twice-Blessed. Wouldn't that solve everything?"

"No," Jack said shortly, eyes narrowing. "It would solve nothing. Good and Evil would be balanced again—which is what the Elder hopes to accomplish, I'm sure. I'd much rather tip the scales in our favor."

Again Crusk held his tongue. Whatever Jack chose to look like, he was a dangerously powerful demon, and he angered easily. But Crusk couldn't see the reason behind giving the Underworld a dictator. It would only make things worse. "You really want to bow down to Wyatt?"

"No, Crusk," Jack replied, sounding both indifferent and mocking, as if this answer should have been obvious. "I have no intention of being ruled by a young, power-hungry witch. And if you do your part in this, you won't be, either."

Crusk fought against the surprise that threatened to show on his face. He was nevertheless intrigued. "And if I don't?"

Jack grinned his most chilling smile. "Then the Charmed Ones won't be the only beings out to vanquish you. I haven't forgotten that you informed them of my whereabouts and ruined everything."

Crusk glanced around the stone cavern, smaller and more cramped than Jack's last one. He suddenly felt trapped, cornered. "Are you going to kill me?" he asked, preparing immediately for an attack.

"No, although at one point I had every intention of doing so," Jack said evenly. "But I want to keep the new plan as close as possible to the old one, and that means keeping you. You're a gifted assassin, as you well know. However," Jack added, raising his eyebrows. "I will be able to find an adequate replacement if you choose not to take me up on my offer."

Crusk opened his mouth to reply, but a twinkling sound and a burst of bluish light interrupted him. The shapeless mass quickly formed into a figure, and once it solidified Jack said, "Crusk, would you excuse us?"

Crusk grunted an affirmative, and just as he shimmered out, he heard Jack greet cordially, "Hello, Gideon."

* * *

"It really shouldn't be this hard to get all three of you in the house at once."

Piper grunted. "Chris, stop lecturing already. You know we're all trying to have separate lives—and P3 is my only source of income."

"Richard is really important to me," Paige piped in, arching her brows. "I can't ignore him because I have Wiccan duties."

"And I really need to get back to Hong Kong," Phoebe threw in last, eyes expectant. "I know this is important, but Jason's going to start thinking I'm having second thoughts if I stay here too long."

"Chris," Piper warned when he opened his mouth to reply. "Let's just start figuring this out. You said he called himself Jack, and he can obviously make people feel pain. And he's a shapeshifter, but he can only hold his form when he's not angry."

Chris was impressed against his will. He hadn't told them any of the details of his experiences yet, so all of these were Piper's own conclusions. "Nice observations."

"Yes, the eldest Charmed One has the incredible ability to observe," Piper said dryly, rolling her eyes. "Did you notice anything else?"

"He said I was ruining his plans, and that he wanted to make sure he could change the future back if I'd changed it too much. So obviously he plays a big part in whatever happens to Wyatt. He may even be the root of it all."

"And what about the other demon? Crusk?" Phoebe asked, expression serious now. She glanced at Piper to confirm that she'd gotten the name right. "Why's he working with Jack?"

"My guess is that Jack dangled his plan in front of Crusk, and Crusk couldn't resist," Chris said, immediately straightening at the thought of the demon. The monster from Chris' nightmares seemed diminished now that Chris knew he was only a pawn for the real threat. "Crusk obviously doesn't have any real allegiance to him, and he said he was assassin before he joined Jack."

"But he couldn't have been doing much of that over the past few years," Paige commented from her seat on the couch. "We haven't heard anything that would lead us to either of them."

"There are the witch attacks lately," Leo commented. He turned to Chris. "I can give you the names; if you know who was attacked in the future, you could see if they match up."

Chris was already shaking his head before Leo had finished his statement. "I doubt it. I told you, most of them were young. Magical prodigies and the like." At Piper's prodding glare, Chris added grudgingly, "But I guess I can check, just in case."

"If they're not the ones attacking the witches, then that means someone else is out there. We need to start looking into that, too," Phoebe said, gaze serious.

"You should, but you don't have to worry too much about it. None of the witches have been seriously injured," Leo reassured, his eyes light and kind. "So far it's been a minor threat."

"But it _is_ a threat, so we'll have to do something about it soon," Piper said definitively, arms crossed over her chest.

"Anyway, back on topic," Chris said, anxious to steer the conversation back to its original purpose. "Tell me what happened before you came to rescue us. I've been wondering about that."

Phoebe, Paige and Leo looked around, and then Leo began to speak, as if on cue. "We didn't know if the demon could somehow sense the girls—if maybe he could tell that they were the Charmed Ones. So I orbed down to the Underworld with Piper, who the demon had already attacked, and waited to see if anything would happen."

"I still can't believe that was your plan," Chris interrupted, a rough edge in his voice now. "Do you even know how dangerous—?"

"Chris, we've already been through this," Piper broke in, scowling at him. "Let Leo finish."

Chris nodded grudgingly and fell silent.

"Anyway," Leo continued after a slight pause, "We were attacked by both demons at once, something we didn't foresee, and one of them managed to get away with Piper. I realized it and orbed the other one here, and Paige trapped it in the crystals."

"I can figure out what you did after that. How long did it take you to get him to talk?" Chris asked, absently running his fingers through his hair.

"Not that long, actually. You're right, he's not loyal to the demon who'd taken Piper—Jack, you said. He told us where to find the cave, and with some… prodding, he told us about the defenses set up around it. We knew that we could orb in, but not out, and that there was a crystal cage around the entire length of it. So Phoebe and I orbed inside, and Paige orbed just outside so that she could pull apart the crystals."

"How did Crusk get there?" Chris asked confusedly, vaguely remembering the demon's presence in the hectic fight.

Leo's face twisted. "He got out of the cage just as we were about to leave. I grabbed onto him and took him with us, hoping we could vanquish him down there."

"Vanquish him? Did you guys manage to find a way?" Chris asked quickly, eyes swinging from Leo to Phoebe. Phoebe nodded and leaned over to grab a crumbled piece of paper on the table.

"We're not sure, but we think this'll work," she said, handing the slip to Chris. He read the scribbled words, eyebrows furrowed.

"It calls on the magic of the Halliwell line, not just the Power of Three," Chris noted, a question in his voice. He folded the paper and handed it back to her.

Phoebe nodded. "We wanted to vanquish him before we left, so we didn't think we'd have the Power of Three. This was the only way I could think of that would make the spell strong enough. None of our potions even came close."

Chris nodded, running the words over in his mind. Then he looked up suddenly, eyes widening as a thought clunked into place. "Did you say you thought he could _sense_ you?"

Phoebe drew up short, looking surprised, and Leo supplied, "We wondered if one of them could—Jack or Crusk—because Crusk attacked when all three of them were out of the room. It seemed like more than just coincidence."

"So you think he can sense their magic? Or their blood?" Chris questioned, eyes darting back and forth as he inwardly worked out the facts.

Leo looked startled now. "I don't know; I'd guess it has to be something like that. Which means he's got to be a pretty powerful demon. He has a whole range of powers at his disposal."

Chris nodded slowly. It would make sense. Jack said he'd had connections—someone must have told him that Chris was from the future. But if Jack could pinpoint who and what the girls were, it was possible that he could sense _Chris_, as well, which could be how he'd known Chris was Leo and Piper's son.

Chris relaxed marginally, somewhat relieved. He was still worried about Jack knowing the future, but it was a little less likely that Wyatt had sent someone back to the past, as Chris had feared.

"Right," Chris said, glancing around at the sisters now. They were watching him closely, waiting for him to explain what he'd realized. He thought quickly. "What if that means he can find them all again? Attack them when they're separated?"

"Well if he does, then whichever one of us he's attacking will call for you or Leo, and you'd orb us out of there," Piper said firmly. She shook her head emphatically when Chris opened his mouth to protest. "No, Chris, I'm serious. We won't hole up here and stop living because there's a demon after us. We've always balanced our witch lives with our human ones."

He clamped his lips together to keep from arguing; they wouldn't listen to him anyway. "Okay," he said shortly, and it took all of his energy to keep his voice even. "Just be aware, alright? Stay in public places, and don't wander anywhere alone."

Paige rolled her eyes. "We wouldn't do that anyway."

"I won't be around in a few days," Leo warned, looking apologetic. His eyes lingered on Piper. "I have an Elder meeting."

Piper's face went blank at the words, but her only response was a brief nod.

"So we should call for Chris if we need help," Paige concluded, shooting a concerned look at Piper.

"Right. So where should we start looking for the demon?" Piper asked gamely, her eyes focused carefully on Chris.

"I have a few books back in my room at P3," Chris replied, running a hand over his eyes. "Most of them are demonology textbooks, and they're pretty complete. I'd like to start there, now that I have something to look for."

"In the meantime, I can stop by Magic School and ask Gideon if he's got any information," Leo said determinedly. "The library is incredibly extensive, and he knows it backwards and forwards."

Chris raised his eyebrows, grudgingly impressed by the idea. "That sounds good."

"Well, I'll help Chris look through his books, which leaves Phoebe and Paige to go back to their lives," Piper announced, sparing a small smile for each of her sisters. They returned it, and Chris felt a pang deep in his gut. Their love for each other never went away, not even when they all had families of their own.

"Sounds great," Phoebe said brightly, while Paige nodded emphatically. Phoebe turned to her. "Give me a ride?"

"Hang on, you know we might need you around here later on," Chris protested, frowning at her. "You're going to have to be able to get away from Jason and come back here."

She nodded impatiently, mirroring his scowl. "Look, I know. I'll tell him in a few days that I really miss my sisters and would like to plan a scheduled visit. But I can't just keep taking off like this."

"Fine," Chris said curtly, arms crossed over his chest now. "Just make sure we can find you if we need you."

"And you're back to being the bitchy Whitelighter," Phoebe muttered, narrowing her eyes and wrinkling her nose at him.

Chris quirked his eyebrows. "Was I ever anything different?"

She stared at him for a second, gaze startlingly serious. Then she said, "Let me get back to you on that. Paige, ready to go?" she added to her youngest sister.

"Yeah," Paige replied, clutching Phoebe's hand. They disappeared in a shower of crystalline lights.

"Well," Piper said after a few seconds of silence. "Let's get to work."


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Thanks again for the reviews! And this is a shameless plug, but if you're interested in reading more about Chris, check out my new fic_ Chances_! It's a One-shot Revelation fic centered around Chris and Leo. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 11**

"Leo! I'm surprised to see you here. I didn't think I'd be in your company until the Elder's meeting."

Leo smiled at the calm, wizened voice of his fellow Elder and mentor. "Hello, Gideon."

The raven-haired man smiled, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture. Then he held his hand out to Leo, who shook it. "Good to see you."

"You, too," Leo replied, but he was more sober now, remembering his purpose. "I'm actually glad I caught you here; I have a few questions I need to ask."

Gideon's expression turned serious, and he folded his hands behind his back. "Do these questions have anything to do with the Charmed Ones?"

Leo frowned, recognizing the hint of disapproval in Gideon's tone. "Yes," he said, a touch defiantly. "Chris was taken hostage not too long ago by a pair of demons—they caught Piper, as well. We barely managed save them."

"And you went along on this… rescue mission, I presume?" Gideon asked, his disapproval sharper and angrier now.

"Yes, of course."

Gideon sighed deeply , closing his eyes and shaking his head. When he opened them again, he looked resigned. "Leo, you _know_ you shouldn't be doing this. You shouldn't even be with them now."

Anger immediately tightened Leo's jaw. "We've had this discussion before, Gideon. I have to protect my family. Nothing is more important."

"The Elders are important; your _job_ is important!" Gideon replied, and he was the closest Leo had ever heard him come to yelling. "Are you aware of the risk you take when you do things like this? Not only for yourself, but for your fellow Elders?"

"My son needs me. And my wife—" Leo broke off abruptly, realizing his mistake. Gideon nodded slowly, catching it as well.

"This is your problem, Leo," Gideon said, voice gentler now. "You're still thinking of them as your family. But Piper isn't yours to look after anymore, and you're doing her a disservice, being around now when you won't be able to later."

Leo ran his hand over his eyes, growing weary of this conversation. "I know, but I can't abandon them, not when they still need me. I was their Whitelighter from the beginning, and I'll always want to take care of them. And Wyatt…."

"You need to curb that desire. Otherwise it will only be harder in the end, when you have to go back. And you _will_ have to go back, Leo."

Gideon's tone was kind enough, but there was a hint of a threat in it, and Leo fought the urge to rebel. Instead he said, "This isn't what I came to discuss."

Gideon waved his hand in a wide, sweeping motion, acquiescent again. "Very well then, carry on."

Leo nodded and described all that they knew about the demon; everything he'd heard from Chris and Piper. Gideon listened intently, eyes never wavering from Leo's face. Once Leo had finished depicting the battle that had taken place in the Underworld—during which Gideon obviously had to restrain himself from scolding Leo again—Gideon stayed quiet for a long time, apparently lost in thought.

"Well?" Leo asked, battling to stay polite despite his impatience. "Have you ever heard of anything like that?"

"No," Gideon said slowly, gaze still focused away from Leo's face. He walked slowly over to the numerous bookshelves, hands brushing lightly from spine to spine. He stopped and removed an old but well-cared-for leather book. He continued this process until he had four books in all; then he carried them back to Leo.

"Here," he said, dropping the lot carefully into Leo's arms. "You can search through these; you might find what you're looking for."

"But wouldn't you know who the demon was if it was in one of these books?" Leo asked, failing to disguise the disappointment that coursed through him. Gideon smiled wryly.

"I'm an Elder, Leo, but I don't know everything. And I certainly don't have this entire library memorized. Look through those, and if you find nothing, come back. I'll give you more." Gideon paused for a moment, eyes resting on Leo in an appraising way. "I will be happy to aid you any way I can, as long as you promise me that this is what you will do— research. No battles with demons, no risks. I need you to stay safe, Leo."

Leo stayed silent for a moment, wondering if he could make that kind of promise. Then he nodded reluctantly and said, "I'll try."

"But alas, trying is not doing," Gideon replied, eyeing Leo shrewdly. "I believe I'm making a mistake, letting you stay here. But I will continue to do so until Wyatt is safe; after that, Leo, you will need to return to your post."

"I know," Leo said tightly, hands contracting around his pile of books. "Believe me, I know. Thank you, Gideon."

And with that he orbed out, leaving Gideon standing alone in the center of the room. After a few minutes, Gideon walked over to his wooden desk and waved his hand, and an old, tarnished key materialized from thin air. Taking the key, Gideon carefully opened the bottom drawer of the desk and shifted around the books inside. Satisfied that they were all present and accounted for, he locked the drawer again and sent the key away.

After he was finished, he picked up a black crystal that rested on the edge of his desk, skulking behind books and papers and writing utensils. He held the smooth stone to his lips and said, "They're searching for you now. I'll be down shortly. We have much to discuss."

* * *

"These are actually pretty cool. Nothing like the Book of Shadows, but impressive," Piper commented as she flipped through one of Chris's books. They were odd, written almost like textbooks, and they included information on hundreds of demons. Some Piper had heard of and even vanquished, and others she'd never seen.

"The Book's always been the best resource," Chris said absently, not looking up from the sketchpad he was currently poring over.

Piper frowned. "Have you used it? In the future, I mean?"

"Always out for information, aren't you?" He muttered, and he _did_ look up then. He obviously was not fooled by the forced casualness of her question. "Don't read into everything I say. Almost everyone knows that the Book of Shadows is one of the greatest Wiccan records in the world. You said it yourself that demons are always after it for that reason."

She nodded grudgingly, feeling a little sheepish now. "True."

She turned her attention back to Chris's books, flipping to the next page. More illustrations and detailed descriptions. A picture caught her eye and she studied it. It didn't look exactly like Jack when he was fully transformed, but the demon in the illustration _was_ distinctly human-esque, and it had a pair of sharp, twisted spikes protruding from its head. Perhaps that was how the demon looked when he wasn't furious.

"Could this be him?" She asked, and Chris jerked his head up at once. With a flick of his wrist—she thought about scolding him for using his powers so carelessly—he brought the book over to him. He read intently for a moment and then laughed, and she looked at him confusedly.

"Good guess, but try reading the description next time. This particular demon is known as the 'Flower-Killer'. Apparently its power is to sap the energy from any surrounding plant life."

She flushed, both from embarrassment at her oversight and anger that he was being so patronizing. Did the fact that she was a Charmed One mean absolutely nothing to him?

He must have realized her look, because he added, "That's not to say it isn't a threat. Apparently this thing created the Sahara desert."

"Oh, just give the book back," she snapped, agitation darkening her tone. "What are you doing, anyway? You were supposed to be helping me--actually, _I_ was supposed to be helping _you_."

He rolled his eyes and walked over to where she sat on the couch, dropping the old volume back into her lap. Then he threw the sketchpad down on top of it, and she nearly gasped at the image that met her there. Drawn in pencil and crudely done, it was still incredibly frightening. A giant, rough-skinned monster with pointed horns sprouting from its forehead and a series of smaller one making up the rest of its face. His eyes were the worst, though, deep, bottomless and ineffably evil.

"You drew this?" She asked, unable to hide her shock. She hadn't ever really thought about Chris having a hobby or a talent. She'd honestly never even thought of him doing anything remotely normal before. It surprised her.

He nodded. "It's basic, I know, but it can give you some idea of the demon side of him. I can work on what he looks like when he's not angry, too, if it'll help." All of this was said in a self-deprecating, matter-of-fact way.

"Yeah, sure. This is good—really good," she smiled at him, and after a moment he smiled uncertainly back. "It's too bad we don't have someone like you around when we're adding things to the book. Our entries always stay pictureless because none of us can draw."

He shot her a peculiar look then, one she couldn't all-together read. Then he glanced away, and the moment was broken. "I'll get to work on it, then. Use that one to help you look."

Piper nodded and pulled the paper free of the sketchpad, making sure not to rip the drawing. Chris gave her a sideways look, as if surprised by her caution, and then he shrugged and snatched the sketchpad away again. They settled into their previous silence, the only sounds the scratching of pencil against paper and the quiet flapping of turning pages.

An interruption came in the form of Leo, who orbed in just as Piper finished another section of the book. She noticed his heavy load and hurried to help him, grumbling as she went, "Great, more to read."

"Gideon thinks these will help," Leo explained, setting three books on the table while Piper idly began to flip through the forth. "If they don't, he'll look around for more."

The volumes were ancient, leather-bound and slightly smelly. Piper wrinkled her nose at the thought of working with them. Leo caught her disgusted expression and laughed.

"Good job," Chris commented from his seat, eyes still focused downwards. "Having the library will be a huge asset. There's no way the demon's not in at least one of those books, even if he's been avoiding attention."

"Yes, but we're not sure which one," Piper said, sour again. She set the heavy, unfamiliar tome on the table, wishing the Book of Shadows had been good enough. She felt strangely let down upon realizing that the Book, which had gotten them through so much over the past few years, was useless in this situation. They would have to add an entry, she thought decisively, once they figured out just who this demon was. Whether they vanquished him or not, it would be a certain kind of vindication to record him there.

"I'll help you," Leo volunteered, smiling down at her in a fond, indulgent way. Without thinking, she smiled back.

"Great," she said, feeling relieved. "_This_ is what we're looking for," she added, showing him Chris's sketch. He took it and released a low whistle. "Along with Crusk, who you've already seen."

"Did you draw this, Chris?" Leo asked easily, already knowing that Piper had no talent for such a thing. He took his time, scanning over every detail of the image.

Chris looked up from his second drawing, and after a moment he nodded.

"Nice job," Leo complimented, smiling at him. Chris looked even more wrong-footed than before, and Piper bit back a laugh.

"Thanks," Chris said finally, and then looked away again. He did that a lot, she noticed.

"You're welcome," Leo said, still sounding completely at ease. Piper wondered whether the two of them had talked and worked things out, or if Leo was still trying to gain trust from the unyielding Chris. From the expression on Chris' face, she was guessing the latter.

"I used to draw too, you know," Leo continued, as if he didn't notice that he was in a one-sided conversation with the world's most stubborn Witchlighter. Piper shot him a startled glance.

"I didn't know that," she answered. She knew Chris wasn't going to help this conversation along any and she was genuinely curious.

"Yeah. It's been years," he said, his smile a little wistful now. "I used to really enjoy it, too."

"Maybe you should try again sometime," She said, reining in her urge to suggest that he and Chris do it together. They wouldn't, of course, but she would have enjoyed watching their reactions to her idea.

"Hey, guys? We have work to do, remember?" Chris had looked up again, and the expression on his face was one of pure annoyance.

Leo and Piper exchanged half-exasperated, half-guilty looks, and then they both turned their attention to finding the demons again.

* * *

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Asmodeus looked at the Elder, forcing his expression to stay placid even as his nose itched to wrinkle and his mouth to sneer. He was not angry yet, and therefore his façade was not difficult to hold onto. Even so, he could feel it crawling underneath his skin. "Yes. In fact, I'm incredibly aware of it, Gideon."

The Elder walked forward at a slow, unhurried pace, everything about him staid and proper. And yet anger sparkled bright and black in his eyes. "As I told you, they are looking for you. You know as well as I do that they won't quit. I've tried to distract them, give them a new problem to worry about, but they're not deterred. They know you are the biggest threat."

Asmodeus glared at the Elder, still fighting to keep the demon buried underneath the surface. One day he wouldn't have to hide his form—his true form. One day he would be free to walk in his own skin, even in the mortal world. One day he would claim all of it.

"I realize that," Asmodeus replied, with a flippant gesture of his hand. The situation with the Charmed Ones was, in truth, worrying. He'd thought deeply about the problem, and had come up with a solution of sorts. He wasn't altogether satisfied with it, but it would have to do. Everything had changed, after all.

Gideon stared at him, and even through the collected mask Asmodeus could see the disgust and disdain the Elder held for him. Asmodeus understood, for he loathed Gideon just as much. For a brief second, he let his hatred shine through. His eyes flashed red.

Then he pulled himself together again, laid the thin veneer of normalcy over his demonic self. "I've come up with a… suitable course of action."

"I should hope so," Gideon said, but he could not fully mask his relief. Although, that wasn't to say he believed Asmodeus so eagerly; distrust shined clearly in his eyes. "I agreed to let you take Chris, but I admit I believed you'd have a more stealthy approach than immediately alerting the Charmed Ones to his absense."

The idea that Gideon had _allowed_ Asmodeus do anything had the demon knashing his teeth furiously. His attack on Piper Halliwell had been deeply strategic, a way to shake Christopher's resolve. Of course, Gideon didn't know of Asmodeus's plans, and he was firmly set on keeping it that way. "You're forgetting that I haven't done anything. Crusk attacked the Halliwells."

"Yes, your partner," Gideon wrinkled his nose in open revulsion. "That doesn't change the fact that Chris managed to escape from you, and that you took Piper Halliwell despite strict orders to leave the Charmed Ones alone."

The audacity of this pompous Elder! Asmodeus could kill him in a second, faster than the old fool could react. But he composed himself, thinking of his plans. "Mistakes were made, I admit. But I assure you, I've thought of a way to repair them."

Gideon nodded approvingly, and Asmodeus's temper flared again. "Crusk will be sacrificed, I assume?"

Asmodeus nodded. "I've decided to send him after the Charmed Ones. They'll defeat him, of course. All three are prepared for an attack and have probably already discovered a way to vanquish him. That will shift their focus, give them a feeling that they've begun to win."

"This is not a game to be won or lost," Gideon snapped, nostrils flaring now and arms waving in wide, angry gestures. "You know what's at stake here. A future with this child does not bode well for either side."

"I do realize that," Asmodeus replied, sneering slightly. "I obviously agreed to help you, didn't I? After the child dies, will I not become your scapegoat?"

Gideon looked stunned, and he unthinkingly took a step backwards. "I have no intention of—"

"You will double-cross me. Don't think I'm unaware of that," Asmodeus replied coldly. Then an evil grin twisted at his lips. "It is lucky for you that demons are more trustworthy than Elders."

Gideon's eyes narrowed, almost imperceptivity, but Asmodeus saw. So the Elder was expecting some form of treachery from Asmodeus. The demon grinned, glad to know that he had not partnered himself with a complete fool. Still, nothing Gideon did would change the course Asmodeus had set for the future. The Elder would not stop him.

"Once Crusk is disposed of, I suggest you disappear completely. If we can cover your trail sufficiently, they will eventually begin to work on a new means to save Wyatt. They certainly won't forget, but hopefully we can shift their concentration away from you."

It was sickening, the way the Elder was trying to protect him. All for Gideon's own means, of course, Asmodeus had no doubt about that. But still, this arrangement was unnatural, abhorrent. Good and evil were never meant to work together like this. It went against both beings' very natures.

_One day_, Asmodeus promised himself, _one day the Elder will die, and I'll be the one to kill him._

"So we've reached an agreement, then?" Asmodeus said cordially, offering a sinister grin.

Gideon returned it, his smile sickeningly pure and heartfelt. "I believe we have."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"I think it's time for a break."

Chris glanced at Piper, incredulity in his eyes. "You just had a break."

"That was four hours ago, Chris," Piper pointed out, an edge to her voice. She gestured to the stack of books on the table. "Besides, we're out of information for now. Reading them over and over won't get you anywhere, you know."

Chris had to concede to that. He _was_ hungry, and his eyes were so blurry that he had to blink every few seconds to refocus them. "Okay," he agreed finally, tossing aside the book that he could probably quote verbatim if he wanted to.

The pair headed downstairs, Piper in the lead and Chris hanging back a little. He could hear the faint coos from the kitchen once he reached the landing, and he knew that it was around Wyatt's dinnertime. Indeed, as he followed Piper reluctantly into the kitchen, he saw Wyatt and Leo together. Wyatt was strapped into his chair and Leo was leaning over him, spoon in hand. The cooing continued.

Chris hated moments like these. He would have to be blind not to see the love and joy that radiated from Leo's face every time he was around Wyatt. It was abundantly clear that Leo adored his son. And Chris couldn't help but wonder what it had been like after _Chris_ had been born; had Leo loved him like that, too? All Chris could ever remember was disappointment and detachment when it came to his father, but had it been that way from the beginning?

And _why_? _Why_ was it that way? What had Chris ever done to deserve it?

"Chris, you okay?" Leo asked, looking at Chris. The light hadn't quite faded from Leo's eyes yet, and Chris could almost imagine that it was there because of him. Then he reminded himself that he didn't care—would never _let_ himself care again.

He relaxed his face and immediately looked away. "Yeah, fine."

He caught the brief disappointment that flashed on Leo's face out of the corner of his eye, and it only aggravated him further. Why was Leo trying so hard all of a sudden? It was as if something had shifted without Chris being unaware of it, like Leo's perception had changed without Chris' knowledge.

He was starting to feel suffocated. Spending so much time in the manor was bad enough, but actually _living_ in it for the past few days had been unbearable. His skin itched with his desire to get away from there.

"I think it's time for Wyatt to go to bed," Piper said, interrupting her thoughts as she, too leaned over the chair to cluck at the toddler. She fussed with his hair and his clothes, smiling widely as Wyatt giggled. Leo watched, his smile mirroring hers.

Chris whirled around and hurried out of the kitchen. He sat on the base of the stairway, head in his hands. "Get a grip," he whispered fiercely to himself, pressing the palms of his hands hard into his eyes. After a few minutes he heard Piper's footsteps and knew that she was heading up the stairs to put Wyatt to bed. He composed himself and stood just a few seconds before she rounded the corner.

"I figured you'd snuck upstairs to research again," she teased when she saw him, Wyatt bouncing happily in her arms. "Listen, once I get him to bed, I can make some food for you if you want. Maybe we could have dinner or something?"

Alarm bells rang inside of Chris's head. "Dinner?"

She rolled her eyes, stalling on the third step. "You know, where a group of people—you, Leo, and me this time—sit around the same table and eat delicious food prepared by a superb cook?"

He ignored her joke. "I think I'd rather go—"

"Oh, Chris, _come on_," She said, sounding exasperated. Wyatt gurgled unhappily from her hip, obviously displeased with the sudden lack of action. "You can't spend every second thinking of Wyatt. As of right now, he's fine. No demons attacking him, no dictator-like tendencies—you can afford to relax for a few hours. Besides," she added when he looked unconvinced, "I'm his mother. _I'm_ the one who should be worrying about him nonstop. You're stepping on my toes."

Chris could think of more than a few responses to that, but most of them would reveal the secret he'd tried so damn hard to keep from everyone. He just settled with a firm shake of his head.

"Chris…"

"No, look," Chris said, interrupting her before she started on her tirade again. "You worry about Wyatt because you're his mother and you love him. Me? I'm just trying to save the world."

She stayed quiet for a little while, seeming surprised by that. "Well, the world isn't tumbling to ruins tonight," she said finally, beginning her trek up the stairs again at Wyatt's tearful insistence. "So go wait in the kitchen for me. No arguments!" she added warningly when he opened his mouth again.

He shook his head again, this time in defeat, and walked slowly back into the kitchen. Leo was there, as expected. He was leaning up against the counter and looking slightly bowled over. He glanced up when Chris entered. "She wrangled you into this too, huh?"

Chris debated with himself for a moment before answering. "I'm not even sure how it happened."

Leo shrugged, a smile tugging on his lips. "That's Piper for you."

He'd been doing that a lot, lately, Chris noticed. Smiling when he thought of her, deliberately putting himself in her presence. Part of Chris was angry about it, because he was going to hurt Piper again eventually, but the other part was…glad. It was nice to see that Chris hadn't ruined things completely, especially since he had put his own existence in jeopardy by splitting them up.

"You still love her, don't you?" Chris prodded, wanting to see whether or not they'd end up having a second son anytime soon. Or at all.

Leo looked up, startled. His expression hardened just slightly and turned wary, but his voice was even as he said, "I never stopped."

Chris hesitated for a second. Then he said, "I think she still loves you, too. Maybe you should try—"

"No," Leo interrupted, straightening and holding his hands up in a quelling gesture. "I won't do that to her again. I won't hurt her like that."

Chris pulled up short, half disappointed, half impressed. Respect for Leo burgeoned unwillingly inside of him as he nodded. "I don't get why she's insisting on this," he said, gesturing around at the dining room table. It had been prepared subtly, with plates, silverware, and napkins.

Leo grimaced. "I think she misses having people to cook for, to be honest," he said lips quirking again. "Or maybe she wants us to, you know… bond."

Chris snorted, but Leo's statement reminded him of what he'd experience if he stayed here. Dinner with his parents at the table he'd once used, eating the same food she used to cook for him. He cringed, unable to think of anything worse.

"You know what? I think I'm just going to go," he said edgily, wondering if his orbing had repaired itself by now. Everything else had come back to him, but his orb powers had taken the longest, probably because they were the most complex.

"Oh, come on, Chris," Leo said, sounding just like Piper except with a deeper timbre to his voice. "It won't kill you to stay."

"So you say," Chris muttered, running a hand through his hair. It fell into his eyes, and he brushed it away impatiently. _Really_ needed a cut. "I just think this is pointless."

"Since when is eating pointless?" Leo asked, eyebrows raised.

Chris shook his head impatiently. "Not that part of it. But this… sitting around a dinner table and talking about useless stuff, like there aren't more important things to worry about. How can they _stand_ it, trying to be normal like this all the time? How is it not in the back of their minds every second—how can they throw everything aside so easily?"

He realized that his voice had risen to near shouting levels, and he snapped his mouth closed. He hadn't meant to vent, hadn't meant to say anything like this, but the release felt nice. It was so difficult to keep everything bottled up all the time.

Leo was staring at him almost impassively. Chris half-expected a flippant comment, a dismissive wave of his hand. A "stop acting like a child, Chris" or a "Let me know when you've grown up—then we'll talk."

But Leo did none of those things. After a second his eyes softened, and Chris could see that Leo was struggling to understand.

"It's on their minds more than you think," he said finally, words progressing slowly and thoughtfully. "Piper doesn't ever forget, not really. And Paige and Phoebe are always prepared, always ready; they just try not to let it rule them." Hesitancy flashed over Leo's face, and after a moments' pause he said, "That's what you're doing, Chris; you're letting it rule you. And I'm afraid of what it'll do to you."

Chris resisted the impulse to stagger back, completely bewildered. "Since when do you _care_?" he asked, his question blunt and honest.

The space between Leo's eyes crinkled as he frowned. "Haven't I already explained this to you? You're trying to save my son. I want you to succeed at that."

Chris shook his head impatiently. "I know, but you've _never_… in all the time…" he drifted off, unable to complete his sentence because he was no longer talking to the man in front of him.

God, being in the past messed with his head. He shook it, trying to relieve some of the fogginess. After a second he smiled—not convincingly, but enough. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about it."

Leo was looking concerned again, and Chris saw the evening that awaited him. Leo and Piper would be awkwardly kind to him in the way they'd been doing lately. There would be small talk and lighthearted conversation, but everything would be doused in tension because Chris wouldn't be able to forget his purpose, which meant that they couldn't forget either. And all the while he'd be fighting against his memories, trying to see them as the people they were and not the people they'd grow to be. The people he knew almost better than he knew himself.

He couldn't deal with it.

"Tell her I'm sorry," he said, his voice quet. Understanding lit in Leo's eyes after a few seconds.

"You'll hurt her feelings," Leo replied, tone similarly low.

Chris thought about that for a beat, and then he shrugged. "I can live with that."

"Chris—" he broke off at Chris's fierce look, looking distinctly defeated. Then he said, "Grab some crystals from the attic and protect yourself, okay?"

Chris nodded. Then he orbed away.

* * *

"Took a little while, but Wyatt is asleep and I—" Piper broke off, halting in her steps. Her fingers flexed convulsively around the baby monitor in her hand. Her eyes landed on Leo, demanding an explanation. "Where'd he go?"

His gaze was sympathetic. "He decided to go back to P3. He took a few crystals to surround his room," he added hastily when Piper opened her mouth furiously. "He'll be okay."

"Really?" She asked, a dark frown twisting her face. "Because I'm starting to think he won't be."

"He's pretty damaged," Leo agreed solemnly, and he wasn't just talking about physically. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that Chris had issues. Lots of them.

"He's so cut off. It's like the harder we try with him, the more he keeps himself at a distance." Her shoulders slumped. "I really wish I could go back to not caring."

"That's not like you," Leo chided lightly. When she gaze met his fiercely, he conceded, "But I understand what you mean. We can't fix what's wrong with him, which is a hard thing to accept. The only thing we can do is save Wyatt."

"Are you sure we can even do that?" Piper asked, voice wavering now. She sounded scared and helpless, and he always hated to see her like that.

"Yes," Leo said, even though he wasn't sure at all. Still, someone had to inspire confidence in her. "There's a way, I know there is."

"But how did we not catch it the first time? How'd we let him go so far?" Every one of her fears was represented in those two questions.

Leo had no answers for her. "I'm sorry."

Piper blinked, and some of the anguish left her eyes as confusion filled them. "For what?"

"For…" Leo hesitated, wanting to say so many things. For abandoning her. For hurting her so badly that she'd have rather been a Valkyrie than deal with it. For not stopping Wyatt from taking over in the future; for letting her go through all of this in the first place.

"I just feel sorry," he said finally, deciding not to say any of those things aloud.

"That's funny, so do I," Piper sighed, sitting down in the stool next to the counter. "I just feel like we should have been able to raise our son better than this. That we shouldn't have needed a stranger to come to the past and tell us how to save him. I thought we could handle having such a powerful child, but… what if we can't?"

Leo's heart began to ache at that question. "I don't know," he said honestly, voice raw. "I don't know, Piper. But I promise that we'll deal with it; I promise that we'll stop this from happening."

They could have been empty, his promises, but he knew she needed them and he wasn't sure he could deny her. She was a wonderful mother, a far better parent than Leo, and she didn't deserve to think of herself as anything less than that.

"And then you'll leave," Piper finished his statement, eyes darkening. "And I'll be on my own again."

He couldn't deny the truth of those words, even though they cut him to the bone. "It'll be okay," he said, and cringed at how hollow that sounded.

She stared at him for a long time, her brown eyes serious. Then she nodded slowly. "Okay."

* * *

Chris waited at P3 for awhile after leaving, pacing back and forth in the tiny room while the club raged outside. He wouldn't be getting to sleep tonight—he never did when the club was in full motion like this—but it didn't really matter to him. He wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway.

The answer to saving Wyatt was almost at his fingertips, and yet he couldn't bridge that tiny gap and complete his task. And the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that they weren't even that close. They knew the demon that was probably involved in whatever happened to Wyatt, but something like this didn't just happen sporadically, or by a solitary demon. Granted, Jack had Crusk to help him, but what if there were more? What if Jack had a whole army?

Even if they found Jack, which they weren't even close to doing, they still had to vanquish him. Chris was sure that would be a long, grueling process, because he was obviously a very powerful demon. And what if this scheme, this plan that Jack had been so adamant about, what if he'd passed it on to someone else? What if it was a combined effort; what if someone would pick up the pieces and try again after they'd killed Jack?

These questions drove him crazy, constantly plucking at his consciousness until he didn't think he could stand it anymore. He orbed back to the manor, trying to be as quiet as possible as he began assembling potions ingredients. He didn't know exactly what he was making them for, but he needed something to do and he could remember a few particularly powerful brews that his mother had taught him. If they were going to get into a battle with Jack, they would need all the firepower they could get.

He was just stirring the cauldron when a sound caused him to freeze. It was faint, but distinctive—a tearful, childish whining.

Unthinkingly, driven purely by instinct, Chris orbed into Wyatt's room. His eyes roved over every crack and crevice, half-expecting the room to be filled to the brim to demons. But there was nothing, and Wyatt's shield wasn't raised. Chris's heart slowly returned to its normal pace.

Wyatt whimpered again, and Chris hesitated a few seconds before heading towards his crib. He looked down on his infant big brother—and wasn't _that_ a weird thing to behold—whose tiny face was pinched and red. Chris wasn't sure what was bothering Wyatt, but he immediately reached out a hand and laid it comfortingly on the infant's head.

"It's okay, little guy. Everything's okay." he whispered, ruffling Wyatt's hair like he'd seen Piper do countless times before. Wyatt looked up at him, momentarily distracted from his crying. Chris smiled unthinkingly.

Wyatt gurgled again, but it was a happier sound than before.

"I can't wait to tell you about this," he said, a little louder now, his grin widening. "I'm going to rub it in your face so much, that I saw you when you were a drooling little baby."

It was almost as if Wyatt understood him. His little face wrinkled into a look that was distinctly offended.

"It's not like you didn't pick on me constantly," Chris retaliated to the expression. He was aware that Wyatt had no idea what he was saying, but it was nice to talk about these kinds of things again. There were good memories, even though they were few and far in-between. "You always defended me, though, when push came to shove. I even got mad at you for it sometimes, especially when people started calling me a wimp for letting my big brother fight my battles." Chris shook his head. "Still, nobody ever messed with me."

Wyatt giggled now, and Chris caught one of his tiny little fists. It really _was_ weird, to see him like this.

"I wish I could tell them," he admitted, continuing with his rare bout of honesty. "But I can't. I don't know why—well, maybe that's not true—but I can't. What would I say, anyway?"

Wyatt had no answers, but that was okay. The child laughed again, a high, innocent sound that reminded Chris of why he was here. To ensure that Wyatt kept his innocence.

"I guess I owe it to you," he said softly, letting Wyatt wrap his tiny fingers around Chris's much larger ones. "You took care of me when we were kids. I guess it's my turn now."

The silence billowed around them after that, but it didn't last long. Wyatt eventually released his fingers and began to whine again. Chris frowned in confusion. "What is it?"

"I think he's expecting me."

Chris whirled around, heart hammering in his chest as he took in Leo's shadowed form. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly to get a hold on the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"How long have you been there?" He asked, glaring into the darkness now. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed Leo's presence.

"Just got here," Chris couldn't quite see Leo's face, but he could imagine that he was frowning. "Why?"

Chris shrugged, taking a solid step away from Wyatt's crib. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Could say the same for you," Leo remarked, moving around him now to peer over the crib like Chris had done. "I usually come to see him at night. I think he's gotten used to the visits."

Chris nodded slowly, although he wasn't entirely sure that Leo could see him—or was even looking. "He was crying," Chris provided as an explanation. "I was worried that something was wrong with him."

"He's well-guarded, Chris. We're not completely incapable. Piper keeps the monitor on, and I always check in on him around this time."

Chris looked at the tiny baby monitor in horror, realizing that Piper could have heard every single word of his whispered speech to Wyatt. How could he have been so _stupid_? Panic made his skin feel hot, but he tried to shove down the frantic emotion.

"And Piper, she's asleep?" Chris asked, as normally as he could.

Leo seemed to look at him in the darkness. "Yeah, she is. I checked on her a few minutes ago. I think the stress of everything has really gotten to her."

Chris couldn't withhold his deep sigh of relief, and he wasn't sure whether Leo caught it or not. Chris had been speaking quietly enough that he probably hadn't awakened Piper. At least he hoped so, because he couldn't even contemplate the other scenario.

There was a moment of silence. Then Leo asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you decided to go back to P3."

"I couldn't sleep," Chris said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders again. "So I just figured I'd get some work done—make some potions and stuff."

"Isn't it kind of late for that?" Leo asked.

Chris didn't answer, just turned and started walking towards the door. "I'm finished anyway. I'll leave you alone with Wyatt."

"You don't have to go," Leo said almost immediately, and Chris wasn't sure how to take that. He stared at Leo through the darkness. Then he turned his back on his father and big brother and left Leo staring down into Wyatt's crib.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Thanks again for the awesome reviews! This is the part you've all been waiting for...._

**Chapter 13**

"The boy could ruin _everything_," Asmodeus seethed, for once allowing himself to exist in full form. There was no trace of the human in that moment.

"There's no need to attack him anymore," he replied, staring at Asmodeus through tilted, condescending eyes. "I've come up with a plan."

"All we have are _plans_," Asmodeus sneered, feeling the anger boil through his veins. "You realize they're all in danger of crumbling, don't you?"

Asmodeus's companion returned the disdainful look. "You should work on your control. I had no idea how severely lacking it was in this decade."

"Well, obviously I gain some eventually, don't I? And why should I bother, anyway? I thought I didn't _need_ it anymore." The more Asmodeus spoke, the more he felt like an insolent brat standing before the Source. He wondered when he would find the confidence and power that this being before him radiated.

"Things have not reached culmination there yet, although we are so, _so_ close. Christopher has not yet disturbed the timeline enough to alter it. And I'm reasonably confident that the disturbance caused by Crusk's absence can be easily repaired."

"What's stopping you from taking over, then?" Asmodeus asked, frowning fiercely. Twenty-three years into the future, and he was _still_ left waiting?

"Wyatt is less… susceptible than I would have hoped. However, he most assuredly will be taken, as he has little defense against what we are trying to do—witches are not usually targeted."

"And once he is, you're sure they'll follow you?" Asmodeus asked, fighting against the urge to insist that he knew the plan. Of course he did—he'd created it!

"They're a weak, persuadable species. I am positive we'll have control soon." Asmodeus's companion paused for a long moment, leaving Asmodeus to flounder in the thick, serious silence. "Would you like to hear what I'm planning to do with Christopher?"

Asmodeus stayed quiet for a long moment, debating his options. His companion noted this—read Asmodeus like a book—and asked, "You aren't doubting me, are you? Who better to trust than yourself?"

Asmodeus studied his future self through narrowed eyes, but he had to concede to that point. "What _are_ you going to do about that, then?"

"Well, it was actually Wyatt's idea—who knew the power-hungry little witch could be so ingenious…"

* * *

"_Help_!"

Phoebe's head jerked up and her gaze darted around frantically. Her heart pounded in her ears, blood rushing quickly through her veins, and fear crept into her stomach.

Then she realized that people were staring at _her_, not looking around for the source of the shout. She scowled and halted dead in the middle of the sidewalk. Pedestrians bustled into her and grumbled as they swept passed. The fear grew and mounted again, only it was more like terror this time, clawing at her insides.

"Help!" she shouted, and then gasped when she realized that it had been _she_ who'd called out. More people stopped to stare at her.

It took Phoebe a split second to realize exactly what was going on. She was channeling someone else's fear—someone else's _panic_. And it had been strong enough to drown out the thousands of emotions that floated through Hong Kong like a thick fog.

Trying to remain inconspicuous despite the stares still coming her way, Phoebe slipped off the sidewalk and headed down a narrow street between two giant buildings. She wondered how she could find the person to whom the feelings belonged. Could she follow them? Would they become stronger as she got closer?

Her question was answered when a wave of horror washed through her, halting her in her tracks. When she regained her breath, she took off at a run. She turned a few more heads, but ignored the onlookers as she weaved through the pedestrians.

The fear met her like a wall as she rounded another building. The tower was under construction, and the streets around it were blocked off. The huge skyscraper had yellow caution tape wrapped around its base, and building equipment was visible through the windows. A sign warned that there was a problem infrastructure, and construction had been called off until it could be checked. That meant it was the perfect place to kidnap or murder someone. Phoebe ran through the open doorframe and jogged past all the equipment.

The emotions were tangible now, more potent than anything she'd ever felt. The terror hovered around her, feeling substantial enough to coat her throat and lungs. She ducked around a large machine and finally found was she was looking for.

A young woman was huddled on the ground, and over her stood a skulking, cloaked figure. A dagger glinted in the sunlight that filtered through the half-finished windows.

"Hey!" Phoebe shouted, shoving down her shock at finding the demon here of all places. "Get away from her!"

She charged toward the demon and he whirled, hood billowing back to reveal his face. He was smiling widely, the woman forgotten at his feet, and Phoebe realized a second too late that it had all been a setup.

Phoebe slammed into him and he staggered back. She quickly forced her weight sideways, arms wrapped tightly around him so that he went with her. They fell away from the demon's victim, and the woman wasted no time. She screamed in horror and staggered to her feet, running for the exit.

Then Phoebe and the demon were alone, as the demon had intended. Phoebe yanked herself away from him and settled into a crouched, defensive position. He lunged at her and she sprang six feet into the air; the way he sailed under her was almost amusing. She lowered herself again and turned to face him, and he raised his athame.

They were still as Phoebe and Crusk eyed each other, both looking for signs of weakness. Crusk lunged again and Phoebe used the same technique as before, only it wasn't as effective this time. Crusk caught her calf with the edge of his dagger.

He quickly realized her weakness and latched onto that same leg, dragging her down to the ground. She fought against him, but he squeezed the damaged flesh and the strength drained out of her.

Chris!" she shouted, a little desperately. "Chris, get here now!"

Crusk growled and threw her to the ground once he'd won the battle. He bore down on her, quickly pressing his weight into her to stop her from escaping. She squirmed and he laughed at her, holding the bloodstained dagger up to his lips. She watched in disgust as Crusk's tongue darted out and lapped at her blood. She couldn't believe he was sitting there, _toying_ with her.

Luckily, both distraction and reinforcement came in the form of bright, twinkling lights. Chris solidified, distracting both Crusk and Phoebe. It took Chris little under a second to understand the situation, and he immediately launched himself at the demon.

Crusk bent on impact but didn't shift entirely, so Phoebe was pinned under both the demon and Chris. Chris used his telepathy and sent Crusk sprawling. Then he grabbed her and immediately began to orb.

"Wait!" She shouted, and his eyes snapped to her face. "We can't leave! We could get him this time. Go get Piper and Paige!"

Chris's eyes widened in incredulity, and then focused behind her. Next thing Phoebe knew, she was standing behind one of the construction machines. She could hear Crusk howling in rage from across the room.

"What are you talking about?" Chris whispered harshly, his breathing heavy and his hair hanging into his eyes. "The plan was to get you out of danger if he attacked."

"I know, but he had a girl in here before you showed up," Phoebe whispered quickly, realizing they only had seconds to come up with a game plan. "I can't just leave him, not if he's going to start hurting innocents to get to us."

Chris was still shaking his head. "No. _No_! We're not prepared for this—there's no way—"

"Chris, think about it! If we leave now, who knows when he'll show up again? Or what if he does show up, and he ends up hurting one of us? We can't live with this risk constantly. And we certainly can't let him hurt people to get to us."

Chris sighed in frustration, but she could see that his vehemence was fading. "If you think you can get this to work, fine, I'll give it a shot," he said, sounding reluctant. "But I'm not leaving you. No, not even for a second! He's too dangerous."

"Then how—"

The machine lifted from the ground. Crusk threw it at them, and Chris grabbed Phoebe a split second before the collision. They reappeared just behind the demon. Crusk was ready for this tactic, however, and he whirled immediately, teeth bared and dagger raised. He tossed it at them, and Chris and Phoebe ducked. Crusk conjured more, a quick succession of flying weapons. Chris cursed and orbed them again.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Phoebe shouted, and then she froze when she felt the point cold metal of the blade against her chest, just over her heart. Crusk had shimmered behind her. He must have gotten a feel for Chris's orbing patterns.

"You've caused me a lot of trouble, witch," the demon breathed in her ear, his wet, hot breath sending a disgusted shiver down her spine. Chris reached for her, but Crusk pushed the knife harder. "No, brat. We're done dealing with you and the Charmed Ones. We've decided to kill them all. That'll take care of you, too."

Again his voice was sly, as if the demon believed he'd already won. His overconfidence gave Phoebe an advantage, and she slammed her foot into his instep. Then she elbowed him viciously in the gut and followed that up with a jab to his face. He staggered back at the force of her attack and loosened his grip enough that she was able to fight his arm away from her. Chris immediately reached out and orbed them again.

"We can't keep doing this! Leave me and go get Paige and Piper. I'll be fine!" Phoebe insisted, keeping tabs on the demon in case he shimmered again. Crusk had straightened and was now staring at her hatefully. But he hadn't moved yet.

"No! He'll kill you before I can get back." Chris reiterated fiercely.

"Leo!" Phoebe shouted, knowing the Elder was the only answer to this problem. She called him again, but unlike Chris, he didn't appear.

"He's gone!" Chris hissed, something like anger in his voice. "He's been called for an Elder meeting, remember? Shit, shit, _shit_!"

Chris started whispering to himself, and Phoebe only caught a few words out of his rushed speech. It seemed like he was trying to talk himself into something. After another attempted attack from Crusk and another bout of orbing, Chris turned to her. She spared him a glance and was surprised by the tormented expression on his face.

"Do you have the spell you wrote with you?" he said roughly, his gaze darting between her and the demon.

Phoebe spared a glance at him. "Yeah, but I need more firepower. Even calling on the Halliwell line, there would need to be at least two of us to make it strong enough."

"There will be," Chris said tightly. Phoebe was confused, but she obligingly dug the paper out of her pocket and handed it to him. He took it and held it out between them. They both ducked as another dagger flew their way.

"Are you going to go get one of my sisters?" Phoebe asked, eyes skimming over the spell she'd written a few days earlier. It was a variation of the spell they had used to vanquish the Source, and it was one of the strongest she had ever written. It would work. _Probably_.

"No, just read," Chris said curtly, shaking the paper for emphasis. Or was it the sudden tremors wracking through his body that was causing the paper to quiver? She finally looked at him full-on, turning away from the fight.

"Chris—"

"Read!"

She jumped at his order and automatically looked at the spell again. She began hesitantly, "_Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Melinda_…."

She stuttered to a halt when she realized that Chris was reading along with her, each name flowing smoothly off his lips as if he'd said them all before. Crusk attacked from afar again, sending a series of daggers flying straight toward them. Chris orbed them out of danger, and then they reappeared in the same place a few moments later.

"Keep going!" Chris shouted the second he'd reformed. She started over, and he read along with her:

"_Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Melinda_

_Astrid, Helena, Laura, Grace_

_Halliwell witches come to our aid_

_Vanquish this demon, vanish all trace_

_Of the evil he hath wrought and made_."

For a heart-stopping second, nothing happened. Then there was an angry, deafening roar, and Phoebe resisted the urge to cover her ears at the encroaching sound. Crusk had ignited on spot and was twisting grotesquely as the flames engulfed his body. Then his shriek died out and his body faded, leaving only a charred black spot and the sickening scent of burnt flesh.

Chris slid to the ground beside her, still breathing heavily. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders hunched and shaking. When he finally recovered, he stood and looked down at her. His eyes filled with a hundred different emotions, and she could feel them flickering at the edge of her consciousness.

"Chris, I…" She didn't know what to say or where to begin. Confusion clouded her head and seemed to fill it with a soft buzzing noise. The only thing she did know was this: That spell would only have worked if at least two Halliwells were reading it.

Which meant that Chris Perry had to be a Halliwell.

* * *

_A/N: I'm not entirely sure of all the rules for_ Charmed _spells. I'm hoping this last part doesn't violate any of the canon, but my apologies if it does!_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

_"Everything I am, and everything in me,  
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be,  
I'd never let you down, even if I could,  
I'd give up everything,  
If only for your good."_

- 3 Doors Down, _When I'm Gone_

* * *

It took Phoebe a few seconds to clear her head, and the silence during that time was profound. Chris looked at her through guarded eyes, his entire face stiff with tension.

"How'd you get the spell to work?" she asked finally, her voice quiet.

If it was possible, his body seemed to tense even more. "We need to get back," he said, and she scowled at his avoidance. "I told Piper I was coming to get you, and she expected us more than twenty minutes ago. She'll be worried."

He grabbed her arm, but she yanked herself out of his reach. "Oh, no. You are _not_ avoiding my questions again, not after this latest development. I wrote that spell, Chris, and I've used a variation of it before. I know how it works. And there's absolutely no way it would have vanquished that demon without two Halliwells reading it."

At her words, all color drained from Chris's face. He looked frightened and young and vulnerable. "Look, she's already calling for me, and I want to—"

"_No_!" Phoebe shouted, stepping more firmly out of his reach. "Explain. Now."

To her surprise, all the fight drained out of him. "I will," he promised, his voice scarcely more than a whisper. "I will, just please, can we go back and tell her what happened first? But you have to leave _this_ part out of it." he added hurriedly, a panicked expression covering his face.

Phoebe felt torn. She wanted to rage and scream and demand that he tell her everything, but at the same time she felt a compulsive need to comply. He just looked so _lost_. "If I'm going to have to lie, there better be a good reason for it," she warned slowly, hating the idea.

He managed a smile, but it looked sad and small. "There is. I've been doing it enough to know."

She stayed quiet for a moment, studying him in a new way. He looked like them, she realized now. Not the spitting-image, but generally. The dark hair, the bright eyes, the high cheekbones and the classic good looks. And he had their stubbornness too, and their fierce determination. So whose son was he? Piper's? Paige's? _Hers_?

"Answer one question, right now," she said as he reached for her again. He halted, eyeing her warily. "What am I to you?" she asked bluntly.

He took a deep breath, his eyes sliding shut. After a few seconds, he opened them again. "You're my aunt."

Her breath released from her lungs as if she'd been punched, and she felt shell-shocked. "Then who's—?"

He shook his head and grabbed her arm, and after the fluttery, disconcerting feel of traveling by orbs, they were standing inside the attic again. Piper's worried face loomed in front of her as soon as Phoebe reappeared.

"Where have you been?" Piper asked immediately, concern coating her voice as her hands grappled at Phoebe's shoulders. "Are you alright?"

Phoebe tried to force herself out of her haze, but Chris's words kept repeating in her head. Her nephew. Chris, the pain-in-the-ass secretive Whitelighter was her _nephew_. How was she supposed to react to this? After all they'd done to him, after all the mistrust and blame….

"Phoebe?" Piper asked kindly, but worry made her voice sharp. She led Phoebe over to the couch, obviously believing that the fight with the demon had traumatized Phoebe in some way.

"She's fine," Chris said, grabbing Phoebe's other side. He used a little more force than Piper had, squeezing her upper arm. It took her a moment to realize he was giving her a signal.

"I'm fine," Phoebe blurted, and felt stronger after saying the words. She turned to Piper, realizing her sister's deep concern now. "Really, Piper, he barely did any damage at all."

Phoebe smiled encouragingly, but sat obediently on the couch while Piper fussed.

"Chris told me you called him, but he said he'd be back with you soon," said the eldest Charmed One, a frown marring the space between her eyebrows. "I was really getting worried when you didn't show up."

Phoebe grinned, feeling slightly guilty now. "Yeah, sorry about that. The demon used an innocent as bait to lure me into a trap, and I didn't want to let him get away with it."

"Wait, are you saying you vanquished him?" Piper asked, incredulity sharpening her frown into a scowl.

"We did," Phoebe said brightly, and Chris squeezed her arm again. She shook off his hand and looked at him, annoyed. He shot her a wide-eyed look and she realized her mistake. "Oh. I mean, I did."

"But how?" Piper asked, voice rising now as she worked out the details. "You couldn't have done it by yourself!"

Phoebe looked back at Chris, noting that he was pale and tense again. He shook his head infinitesimally, a plea in his eyes. "The spell ended up working with The Power of One," Phoebe said, pleased that it wasn't a complete lie. Out of the three Charmed Ones, she'd been the only one present. "Guess he wasn't as strong as we thought."

"But this is… this is _great_!" Piper said, turning ecstatic as the realization sunk in. "He was one of the biggest threats to Wyatt—aren't you happy about this, Chris?"

Piper focused on the Witchlighter, and he looked vaguely trapped by the sudden attention. "Uh, yeah. Great."

"I mean, I know that your mother was… hurt by Crusk, so—"

"My mother?" Chris interrupted sharply, looking alarmed and unnerved. Piper frowned in response, and Phoebe pursed her lips to keep from blurting out her newfound knowledge.

"Leo told us," Piper said gently, resting a light, comforting hand on his arm. "He told us that Crusk got you to go with him by threatening your mother. We figured she was the one he attacked in the future."

Chris stared at her silently, face blank and eyes shuttered, and Phoebe felt a mixture of foreign emotions blossom inside of her chest. Pain, happiness, panic, hope and love, each distinctive and sharp, and there were others she couldn't even name.

She looked back and forth between Chris and Piper, studying the way he seemed to lean into her touch even as he looked tempted to shake her hand away. A word skittered through her mind, and Phoebe had to clamp her jaw to keep from saying it out loud.

_Mom_.

Phoebe understood.

She bolted to her feet, catching both Piper and Chris by surprise. Piper looked at her again, eyes fretful. Phoebe caught her hands, smiling cheerfully. "No, it's okay, I'm totally fine. I just feel pumped, you know? One demon down, another to go! Whoo!" Her enthusiasm was false, but Piper seemed to buy it.

Phoebe turned to Chris. "I haven't gone through the books you've got yet, Chris. How about we orb to P3 and check them out together?"

She met his gaze significantly and he looked away. "Piper and I looked through every inch of them, Phoebe. I really doubt we'll find anything new."

She glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. Her voice was harder when she said, "But I'd really like to look, Chris. I feel like doing something after what happened today. _I_ just killed a pretty significant demon!"

Phoebe glanced at Piper, who was looking back and forth between them. Then Phoebe met Chris' gaze again, and she knew he took her comment for what it was: A threat.

"I just don't think it's necessary." Chris muttered, glaring darkly, and Phoebe turned sharply toward her sister.

"There's something I forgot to tell you," Phoebe said clearly. Chris stepped forward immediately.

"But it won't hurt to look again," he added quickly, latching onto her arm. "Come on."

Again the hazy, strange sensation of bursting into tiny blue particles, and after a few seconds she arrived in the presently empty and quiet P3. She stepped away from Chris and tilted a little on her feet. Her equilibrium was having a harder time adjusting after orbing so much.

"How can you stand traveling like this all the time?" She complained, clenching her eyes shut until her balance returned. Then she remembered her purpose whirled around to face him.

He looked as if he was a criminal about to face the firing squad. "Before you start, can you please just—"

"No!" She interrupted, taking a step toward him. "You're going to explain everything to me, right now. No games, no running away. Just the _truth_."

"But there are still things I can't tell you. Can you accept that?" Chris asked, sounding equal parts annoyed and earnest. When she stayed firmly silent, he added, "Please, Aunt Phoebe?"

And just like that, her fury was broken. It left her with an almost tangible force, and she could feel it slipping from her fingertips like water. She closed her eyes, the blood draining from her face as she staggered back into one of the chairs at the bar. God, her nephew. She wasn't even sure how to comprehend this. She wasn't sure how to see her annoying, futuristic Whitelighter as a member of the family. As Piper's _son_.

"Is it that bad?"

His voice was suddenly harsh, and her eyes snapped opened instinctively. His arms were crossed tightly, his entire stance severe. But it was his face that caught her the most; under the harshness there was that same touch of sadness and pain that she'd seen before.

"What?" She asked, confused by both his question and his violent pose.

"Is the idea of being related to me that bad? You look like you're about to faint," he repeated curtly, eyebrows sweeping into a brutal scowl.

"Huh?" She asked again, out of incredulity this time. She stood from her stool and walked toward him. "What are you talking about, Chris?"

He took a few steps away, matching the distance she'd crossed. She felt completely baffled by his behavior.

"I'm sorry that I'm not a good enough person for you, _Phoebe_," Chris spat, the words sharp and pointed as knives. "But if you'd been to my future, if you'd lived through half the things I have—the death and the destruction and the chaos—maybe you'd understand."

Phoebe took a step backwards at the animosity in his tone. She didn't understand how he'd become so angry so quickly. Her mind ran sluggishly over everything he'd said, trying to figure out how this had gone wrong. His fury buffeted into her via her powers too, making the onslaught all the more difficult to handle.

"Or better yet," he continued in response to her silence, sounding even angrier than before. "Why don't you go find a person to blame? You can start with the one-year-old sitting in the playpen in the attic. And then, hell, maybe you should look into a mirror."

She retreated further as his words ripped into her, and her first instinct was to tell him to go to hell. Nephew or not, he had no reason to be so cold and hateful to her, and it just wasn't acceptable.

But the pieces were coming together now, putting themselves in order at a ridiculously slow rate.

_Is the idea of being related to me that bad?_

_I'm sorry I'm not a good enough person for you, Phoebe. _

"You're scared," She stated bluntly, and there was no question or force behind her tone. She was simply stating a fact. He froze, every muscle stilling, and she saw a spasm of fear flash across his face. "You are; you're scared. You're afraid that I won't like you because of everything you've done."

The tremors were back; she could see them shuddering through his body. His angry façade began to break even as he struggled to keep it in place. "I don't care what you think."

"Of course you do," Phoebe said gently, closing the gap between them now. "I'm your family. And if I remember everything you've told us, I've been out of your life for a long time."

The last of his mask crumbled, leaving him bare and vulnerable. She could have sensed the terror and pain even if she hadn't had her empathy powers. He seemed to realize this, because he abruptly turned his back to her.

"You're dead," he whispered, low enough that she only just heard it. She nodded absently, figuring as much.

"Piper and Leo are your parents, right? You're Wyatt's little brother?"

The surprise still pounded into her relentlessly. He'd come back to save his big brother, and through that process, his family. _Them_.

She also realized how tragic it was, because Piper and Leo had by far treated Chris the worst. Not that he hadn't deserved it—Phoebe hadn't even blamed them at the time—but for Chris to have his parents treat him that way…

"Yes," Chris said, still keeping his back to her.

"God," She whispered, and then blurted, "Why didn't you _tell_ us?"

He finally whirled around. She saw that the agitation was back, but it was farther under the surface this time. Controlled. "What was I supposed to say? 'Hi, I'm your son from the future! You have to help me stop my older brother—your other son—from turning evil and killing half the world's population in a few years' time.' You really think you would have believed that?"

"You never even gave us a chance, Chris!" Phoebe argued, emotions choking her voice. "We never would have treated you the way we did if you'd—"

"Don't! Don't act like this changes anything." he ordered roughly, hands clenching into fists.

She stared at him incredulously. "Are you kidding me? It changes _everything_!"

"No," he reiterated adamantly. "I'm still the same person I was yesterday, Phoebe. I'm still the annoying, secretive, _neurotic_ freak you thought I was before. Don't change your opinion because you think you're _supposed_ to care."

She stared at him, jaw slack. It took her a full minute to pull herself together. "This is why you didn't tell us, isn't it? It had nothing to do with future consequences or any of it. You're worried that we won't like the person you've grown into. The person you _are_."

She could see from the stricken look on his face that she was right, but he didn't give in to her claims. "You're forgetting that you _don't_ like me."

"That's not true," she said forcefully, and held up her hands when he started to speak. "No, Chris, it's not. I don't like your secrets, and I don't like the way you lie to us. But I never disliked you."

He scrubbed at his face with his hands, which were still shaking. Something flashed into his eyes—something like hope—but it was gone and replaced with the usual dark bitterness a second later. "You don't know everything I've done. If you did…"

"I'd know you only did them because they were necessary," Phoebe finished firmly, and she believed it. If he really was her nephew, he'd definitely been raised right.

"I'm not—" he broke off, frustration covering his face. His fingers fidgeted with the edges of his sleeves. "I'm not the person she would have wanted me to be."

It took Phoebe a second to understand. Then she shook her head forcefully. "She doesn't dislike you, either. She feels the same way I do," he was already shaking his head, and she frowned. "Chris, I know my sister, and I know the only thing she hates about you is the way you hide things from us."

"But _she's_ not… she's not my mother. She's Piper."

Phoebe frowned. "You just told me you were her son."

He jammed his hands into his pockets, shuffling impatiently. "I did—I am. But I try to keep her separate from the person I remember. It's… easier, that way."

"Oh." She understood, and it made her sad. She wondered what it would be like to go back into the past and be near Prue again, to talk and laugh with her like they had when they were younger. But then she'd also know that Prue's death was fast-approaching, and she wouldn't be able to say anything for fear of messing with the timeline and magic itself.

Even the idea of it seemed torturous.

"How can you do it?" She asked, blunt amazement in her tone.

He looked wary again. "Do what?"

"Keep this a secret from us. Be around us all the time and not warn us about what's going to happen," her eyes widened as all of the consequences of Chris being their relative sank in. "_We're_ the family you lost—_Piper's_ the mother who died when you were fourteen. How can you be here with us and not try to save us?"

His eyes became desperate then, and all trace of the cynical, wise-ass Chris was gone. This version of him was scared and frantic and completely out of his depth. "I'm _trying_—you have to understand that." She could tell that he wanted her to, was _begging_ her to, and she realized too late that he'd taken her question as an accusation.

She held up a hand to stop him, wanting to correct the mistake, but he ignored her and barreled on. "I'm just hoping that saving Wyatt does it. I'm hoping that by saving the world, you'll be saved, too." He ran his hands roughly over his face then, releasing a low groan. "But I'm already failing. We have a lead, but it's turning cold and I have no way of finding this demon again. And I've told you way too much, and it could ruin _everything_…"

It struck her in a way it hadn't before, how utterly _young_ he was. He couldn't have been more than twenty-two. It seemed terribly wrong that so much rested on his shoulders. The fate of the entire_ world_.

"No wonder you're so neurotic," she said, but there was a seriousness in her voice that belied her light-hearted comment. He looked up, shock flickering across his face. Phoebe, moved both by Chris's revelation and the complete breakdown of his cocky exterior, did something she had never done before. She hugged him.

He stiffened completely as her arms encircled him, and she wondered if she'd made a horrible mistake. Maybe he couldn't deal with this; maybe it was too much for one day. But then he relaxed, arms hesitantly sliding around her, and they stayed like that for a long moment. Gradually the tremors left his shoulders, and when she pulled away, she was confident that she had comforted him at least a little.

"Listen to me," she said, her tone calming and commanding at once. "We're going to stop this, okay? You don't have to worry about it all on your own. We'll help. _I'll_ help."

She saw the way light flickered into his eyes and then left again. It was almost like he stopped himself from feeling any sort of hope or happiness. She could sense it, too, the way he suppressed everything but the animosity and anger.

"You're doing it again," he said, sounding slightly wry—she was surprised by his blithe tone.

"What?"

"Reading my emotions," he replied. "How are you able to, anyway?"

She narrowed her eyes and leaned back on her heels, eyebrows raised. "I don't know. But I think the better question is, how'd you stop me in the first place?" He stayed silent, and she prodded, "What did you do, Chris?"

"I took the potion," he admitted unwillingly, avoiding her gaze. He even looked a little sheepish, which she thought was kind of cute. "The one I got for Paige and Piper."

She absorbed that, wondering why she hadn't come to that conclusion before. If he took the potion, she shouldn't be able to get anything at all from him—and she understood his question now. "Oh. Well, sometimes when Piper or Paige gets really angry, or sad or some other strong emotion, I can still feel it. And you've been through some pretty tough stuff over the past few weeks…" she drifted off, unsure of her hypothesis.

He raised a hand and absently scratched at the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"It's getting to you now, more than it used to," she surmised, eyeing him shrewdly. "Isn't it?"

He shifted uneasily, obviously still unwilling to share his burdens with her. When he met her eyes again, his own gaze was wiped clean of any emotion. And she was willing to bet that it wouldn't be long until he'd figured out another way to block her empathy powers, too. "Yeah, well. Clock's always ticking."

She raised a brow. "Then we should probably get to work."

**The End**

* * *

_A/N: Yes, you read it right! It_ is _the end! But don't worry, because there's a sequel. It'll be called_ Haunted_, and it should be up within a few days. Look for it! Thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed the story!_

_Oh, and for my anonymous reviewer who wondered why Phoebe and Chris didn't call Paige: As far as I know, Paige can't hear them. Whitelighters can only hear their charges' calls, and since the sisters and Chris aren't her charges, they don't share that connection. That's why in a lot of episodes they'll go and get her if they need her. _


End file.
